SAIC Motor has entered into a strategic partnership with global insurance broker Lockton and its captive insurer, SAIC Motor Insurance Co., Ltd., in a move designed to strengthen risk governance across its expanding international operations. The agreement is intended to underpin SAIC’s overseas manufacturing, sales and after-sales activities with structured insurance solutions and cross-border risk advisory support.
As Chinese automotive manufacturers accelerate their globalisation strategies, risk complexity has intensified. Regulatory divergence, supply-chain volatility, technological integration and evolving liability standards have all introduced new exposures. Against this backdrop, the collaboration between SAIC Motor Insurance and Lockton seeks to provide an integrated framework covering operational, technological and financial risk domains.
Under the arrangement, the parties will co-develop insurance programmes tailored to overseas production facilities, distribution networks and after-sales service operations. These programmes are expected to encompass property damage, business interruption, product liability, recall risk and directors’ and officers’ liability, alongside bespoke coverage for emerging automotive technologies.
A central component of the partnership is the alignment of risk management with international regulatory standards and technological development. As SAIC deploys intelligent connectivity systems, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and over-the-air (OTA) software updates in foreign markets, it faces jurisdiction-specific compliance requirements and heightened cybersecurity scrutiny. The collaboration aims to address these exposures through specialist underwriting structures and coordinated claims management mechanisms.
In addition, the alliance will explore insurance models suited to diverse overseas markets, with a particular focus on cost predictability and operational resilience. By leveraging Lockton’s global brokerage network and local regulatory expertise, SAIC seeks to ensure continuity of cover and regulatory compliance across multiple territories.
The scope of cooperation can be summarised as follows:
| Area of Coverage | Key Focus |
|---|---|
| Overseas Manufacturing | Property, business interruption, plant and equipment risk |
| Global Sales Operations | Product liability, distribution risk, contractual exposures |
| After-Sales Activities | Warranty risk, service liability, parts replacement |
| Technology and Data | Cybersecurity, data protection, ADAS liability, OTA update compliance |
| Regulatory Alignment | International standards, cross-border claims coordination |
Industry analysts note that the use of a captive insurer provides SAIC with enhanced control over premium allocation and risk retention, while the involvement of a global broker facilitates market access and programme optimisation. This hybrid structure is increasingly favoured by multinational manufacturers seeking both financial efficiency and regulatory flexibility.
The agreement reflects a broader trend among Chinese automotive groups to institutionalise enterprise risk management as they deepen their footprint in Europe, Southeast Asia and other emerging markets. By integrating insurance architecture with technological innovation and global compliance frameworks, SAIC aims to support sustainable, high-quality growth beyond its domestic base.
The partnership signals a deliberate shift from reactive risk transfer to proactive risk engineering—an approach likely to become standard practice as automotive ecosystems grow more interconnected and digitally complex.