The agreement for the landing of the Chinese automobile group Chery in the old facilities of Nissan in the Barcelona Free Zone allows the production of up to 150,000 vehicles in 2029 (50,000 are expected in 2027), while they will recover up to 1,250 jobs. Pedro Calef, CEO of Ebro, the brand owned by EV Motors, announced this today at the official signing of the alliance that makes this company the first Chinese manufacturer to produce in Europe. The event was attended by the President of the Government, Pedro Sanchez, the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, the president of the Generalitat, Pere Aragons, the Minister of Business and Work, Roger Torrent, and the vice governor of China’s Anhui province, Shan Xiangqian. Zhang Guibing, executive vice president of Chery Automobile, signed the agreement on behalf of the Asian multinational. Ebro Factory, the name of the joint venture in which EV Motors is the majority partner, has planned a long-term investment of 400 million euros.
The project will begin rolling out this year with the production, before the summer, of vehicles from the brand Omoda, one of Chery’s brands. Initially, the vehicles will be assembled under the formula DKD (Direct Knock Down), where large pieces will arrive ready-made at the plant for assembly. Future plans include transitioning to the CKD (Complete Knock Down) process and involving local suppliers. This initial phase will employ 150 employees. Later in the year, cars from the reborn Spanish brand, Ebro, will also be added to the production line. Among the plans is the creation of an R&D center in Barcelona dedicated to adapting production for the European market.
In institutional speeches, Sánchez emphasized “the capacity of the Spanish industry to reinvent itself and adapt to global challenges.” He expressed the government’s commitment to Barcelona and Catalonia as an industrial hub, especially in the automotive sector. The Chief Executive highlighted examples of collaboration between institutions and the private sector to reindustrialize important plants in Catalonia. Guibing highlighted that once the factory reaches scale, it will become a major export point for Chery worldwide.
After Nissan’s announcement in 2020 about closing its factories in Catalonia, EV Motors’ alliance with Chery culminates the negotiation process for the reindustrialization of the land left by the Japanese multinational. The closure of Nissan’s facilities during the pandemic affected many jobs and suppliers in the region. The partnership between EV Motors and Chery marks a significant development for the automotive industry in Barcelona and Catalonia.