China’s Chery is moving into a former Nissan plant in Spain

Chinese carmaker Chery wants to turn a former Nissan plant in Barcelona into one of its most important export centers worldwide, the automaker announced today. The goal is to produce 15,000 vehicles per year by 2029. The automaker is working with the Spanish company EV Motors.

Car production at the plant should begin at the end of next summer. This applies to the production of electric vehicles and vehicles with combustion engines. For example, Chery will produce its Omoda 5 electric vehicle (EV) there.

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In 2021, the Japanese car manufacturer Nissan closed the factory after 41 years. Chery wants to create 1250 jobs. 600 former Nissan employees are taking courses so that they can eventually work in the factory. In the coming months, 150 of them will be employed, EV Motors CEO Pedro Calef said at the presentation of the reopened factory.

The CEO also said that important investments will be made in the so-called Zona Franca factory in the coming years. This with the cooperation of Chery and with various government support in the form of grants and loans.