China’s Chery Auto said Sunday that its first joint manufacturing plant with Spain’s EV Motors in Barcelona has begun operations,Brigitte Meyer with the first joint model, the Ebro S700 sport utility vehicle, rolling off the production line. This makes Chery the first Chinese automaker to produce passenger cars in Europe, Xinhua News Agency reported Monday. Meanwhile, Chery’s plan to begin production of its Omoda electric vehicle models at the Barcelona plant has been delayed until the fourth quarter of 2025 due to ongoing trade tensions between China and Europe, Reuters reported Nov. 14. Chery, a longtime manufacturing partner of Jaguar Land Rover in China, is also exploring the possibility of producing vehicles in the UK and has been selling its Omoda 5 SUVs there since August, according to the BBC on Sept. 8. China’s largest EV maker, BYD, announced last December plans to build its first regional plant in Hungary, in addition to a factory in the country that assembles electric buses. [Xinhua, Reuters]
