Several major automakers in China, looking to lock in battery material supplies and control production costs for EVs, have moved quickly in the past two months to establish partnerships with local raw material producers through direct investments or joint ventures. 

The market expansion will be short lived as Beijing upholds a zero-tolerance policy to curb the spread of the coronavirus that has become increasingly transmissible and stealthy though mutations.

Even under a new blueprint, what the company calls an asset-light business model with a renewed focus on Jeep and Maserati imports, Stellantis still confronts hurdles to revive sales and profits at two Chinese joint ventures.

Hyundai Motor Group saw annual sales of Hyundai and Kia light vehicles in China shrivel from a record high of 1.8 million in 2016 to below 520,000 last year. The Korean automaker is finally moving to fix persistent problems.