Spain’s Ebro and China’s Chery will jointly develop new cars

Spanish car company Ebro-EV Motors and China’s Chery Automobile yesterday signed an agreement to develop new electric vehicles through a joint venture in the northeastern Spanish city of Barcelona.

Under the alliance, Chery will become the first Chinese automaker to produce cars in Europe, at the Ebro facilities located in the former Nissan plant that closed in 2021. The joint venture in Barcelona’s Zona Franca port area will create jobs 1,250 and is expected to produce 50,000 vehicles in 2027, which will triple to 150,000 in 2029.

“This agreement for the joint production of cars with two brands is more than a big business project (…) it is also a sign of the re-industrialization process that Catalonia and the whole of Spain are going through”, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro. Sanchez said in an official ceremony to mark the union.

“It is not unusual to witness the rebirth of a famous brand and today we all share the feeling of joy,” said Sanchez. “Ebro is part of the collective memory of the entire Spanish company, which has had trucks, vans and tractors of the brand it has worked with for many years”.

Sanchez stressed that the agreement “will lead to the creation of wealth and the production and maintenance of employment.”

The automotive industry, Sanchez said, “is the main industry for the good performance of the Spanish economy”. He noted that the agreement is part of a “true nationwide commitment to efficient and sustainable mobility”, which he hopes will “transform Spain into a major European electricity hub”.

Attending yesterday’s event were: the Chinese ambassador to Spain Yao Jing, the Minister of Industry and Tourism of Spain Jordi Hereu, the deputy governor Shan Xiangqian of the eastern Chinese province of Anhui – where Chery resides, the president of the Catalan government Pere Aragones. , with Ebro CEO Pedro Calef and Chery executive vice president Zhang Guibing.

Shan said that the implementation of the Chery project in Spain will benefit the people of China and Spain. “We hope that the agreement marks a new beginning and strengthens cooperation with Spain in areas such as advanced manufacturing and technological innovation.”

CEO Ebro Calef said the fourth quarter of this year will see the start of production of Chery’s Omoda 5, the brand’s first electric model, as well as a combustion model. Two SUV models are also expected later this year from the Ebro, built on technology shared with Chery.

Executive Vice President of Chery Zhang noted that the two companies are combining their advantages to “create something similar to a baby.” “We are working together to create new designs, which will also be distributed by this joint venture.” (Xin) © Xinhua