GM unveils China R&D center

US car manufacturer General Motors (GM; GM.NYSE) revealed its newest research center in Shanghai on Thursday, where the company will focus on developing electric vehicle technology, Reuters reported.  The GM China Advanced Technical Center, as the new facilities are known, will develop a variety of technologies and provide research information for the world’s auto market. The center is located in China to take advantage of the country’s large supply of engineering and science graduates, said John Du, a director of the new center. The center is likely to focus on electrically powered technology that fuels all-electric and hybrid vehicles. Up to 250 engineers, researchers and designers are set to work at the center, GM said. “China now ranks first in the world in the number of PhD candidates, and these are talents we want to attract into the GM R&D and engineering workforce. Not just to develop product for China market,” said Du.