Chinese car manufacturer Chery will set up its first European plant in Barcelona

After BYD in Hungary, it is the turn of another Chinese manufacturer, Chery, to announce its industrial arrival in Europe. Its first factory will be located in Spain, near Barcelona.

Chinese manufacturers are arriving industrially in Europe. After the announcement a few weeks ago by the electric giant BYD for a factory in Hungary, to be established in Hungary, Chery, another Chinese car manufacturer, confirms this Tuesday its upcoming installation in Spain.

Joint venture with a Spanish group

The manufacturer will set up its first European plant on the former Nissan site in Barcelona, ​​​​​​​​as part of a joint venture with Spanish group Ebro-EV Motors, the Spanish government announced on Tuesday. “The agreement” was concluded between the two car manufacturers at the former Nissan factory, located in the autonomous region of Barcelona”, the Spanish ministry said in a press release.

“EV-Motors, an automotive company specializing in the design, manufacture and sale of vehicles and production in Spain, has entered into an agreement with the Chinese manufacturer, the leading exporter of Chery vehicles for the joint venture, majority – owned by Ebro”, shows a joint press release from the two groups.

The agreement will allow “the reconstruction of the factory in the free zone of Barcelona, ​​​​​​​​​​​owned by EV-Motors, and the production of the first model of the Ebro brand in the fourth quarter of this year”, promises the press release .

This contract will be signed on Wednesday during a meeting in Madrid between the Minister of Industry Jordi Hereu and a delegation from Chery, in front of the representatives of the Catalan regional government.

The Spanish authorities had reported in recent days that a deal was close after increased contact with Chery. But doubt continued on the decision of the Chinese group, and special media mentioned the possibility of its establishment in Italy.

“After several months of negotiations, we are reaching the culmination of the reconstruction” of the old Nissan site “and the agreement between Ebro and Chery for the production of thousands of cars”, they were happy. on a social network Roger Torrent, head of business in the Catalan government.

The context of the tension between Brussels and Beijing

The old site of Nissan, where 3,000 people worked, was closed in December 2021. Part of this large industrial complex was sold to the motorcycle manufacturer Silence and EV Motors, but the authorities local companies (related to EV Motors) have been looking for another. investor to fully relaunch the site.

Chery is the second Chinese manufacturer to announce a European establishment, after electric vehicle champion BYD, which in February formalized the construction of its first European factory in Hungary. The latter will be operational within three years.

Chery’s decision comes amid tensions between Beijing and Brussels, which opened an investigation in early April into public subsidies given by Chinese authorities to electric vehicles, which are accused of distorting competition.