Chery Auto plans to start producing vehicles in Spain “as soon as possible” at its Barcelona plant, a senior company executive said, according to Reuters, cited by Agerpres. The launch is expected in 2026, following several delays affecting what will be Chery’s first manufacturing facility in Europe.
The confirmation comes after Chery said in November that it would postpone the start of production until the fourth quarter of 2025 for commercial reasons, including additional EU tariffs imposed on electric vehicles imported from China. The automaker had initially planned to begin production in Spain in 2024.
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The Barcelona facility operates as a joint venture between Spanish automaker Ebro and Chery and is located on the site of a former Nissan plant, which closed in 2021. Local authorities have welcomed the investment as a positive signal for trade relations between Spain and China, at a time when Chinese carmakers have been gaining market share in Spain amid intense global price competition in the EV segment.
Zhu Shaodong, Chery’s executive vice president and managing director for the European Union, told Reuters that the company is pushing ahead with its Barcelona plans and is confident production will start this year. Asked about the exact quarter, he declined to give details, saying only “as soon as possible”.
Speaking at an event in Madrid, Zhu also said that vehicles built in Barcelona will be exported to Latin America. According to earlier announcements from the Chery–Ebro joint venture, the plant aims to reach an annual capacity of up to 150,000 vehicles by 2029 and become one of Chery’s key export hubs.
The first model to be produced in Barcelona will be the Omoda 5 SUV. Chery sells internal combustion, hybrid and fully electric vehicles, while its Omoda and Jaecoo brands have already been launched across major European markets.
Photo: Forbes
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