General Motors will stop the sales, design, and engineering operations for Holden in Australia and New Zealand by 2021.

After the company retires the Holden brand, GM will focus its strategies in the Australia and New Zealand markets on the GM specialty vehicle business.

“I’ve often said that we will do the right thing, even when it’s hard, and this is one of those times,” said GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra.  “We are restructuring our international operations, focusing on markets where we have the right strategies to drive robust returns, and prioritizing global investments that will drive growth in the future of mobility, especially in the areas of EVs and AVs.

GM explored a range of options to continue Holden operations but the company ultimately found that it could not overcome the challenges of the investments needed for the right-hand-drive market while delivering an appropriate return on investment, according to GM President Mark Reuss.

GM will also withdraw Chevrolet from the domestic market in Thailand by the end of 2020.

GM noted that it will continue to honor all warranties and provide servicing and spare parts to customers in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and related export markets. Local operations will continue to handle all recall and safety-related issues.