Who’s who of Ebro, the new “Chinese-Spanish” SUV brand that is already “produced” in Barcelona
Last Saturday, new Spanish brand Ebro began producing cars at the old Nissan plant in Barcelona’s free trade zone, ending a three-year shutdown at the plant.
While it is true that today it is not yet a total car production, as stamping, welding or painting processes are the most complex when it comes to assembling a car; It must be admitted that this is the beginning of an industrial project on which great hopes are pinned.
So in this first step the assembly is first done using DKD technology (parts are made in China); For then choose CKD with more local production. And all this with a purpose finally led to full production in Barcelona. Thus, when actual vehicle production reaches full capacity, it is estimated that the plant will employ approximately 1,250 employees.
This build start, which starts with the Ebro S700, was achieved because Chery’s support is behind this operation. This Chinese Construction Group, founded in 1997, one of the largest manufacturers in giant Asiatic and with the largest export volume: it is currently present in almost 80 countries and has sold more than 13 million cars, almost two million of them last year.
Barcelona, Chery Gate
Chery is also the parent group, having the Chery brand of the same name.as well as others such as Omoda and Jaecoo, which are not yet produced in Barcelona and are shipped to Spain through the port of Barcelona. Barcelona thus became the nerve center for Chery’s promotion and production in Europe.
In this sense, Barcelona produces not only the s700. This will also happen a little later Ebro S800 and in 2025 Omoda 5 in addition to Jaecoo 7.. So Chery must decide whether to start with Omoda 5 combustion or with electric.
Organizational structure of Ebro
As for the Ebro organization, the who’s who we’ve titled this information with, we have to admit that it’s complex. To begin with, there are two main companies that signed the agreement.
On the one hand, there is EV Motors and, on the other hand, Chery. Both also created two joint ventures. One of them Ebro SUVwhose main participation Electric Cars Motors and which is intended mainly for marketing and after-sales service for Ebro vehicles in Spainin Andorra and then in other countries.
And, on the other hand, this Ebro Factory, which has Chery’s investment in the Zona Franca plant, which in turn is also majority owned by EV Motors.
The Ebro factory will produce these models. In addition, it is being studied creation of a joint research and development center in Barcelona, similar to the one Chery has in Frankfurt (Germany)among four others distributed throughout the world. If confirmed, this will mark another step in this agreement that will help Barcelona fully develop its value chain.
With all this we can say that EV Motors has a stake in both companies, as does Chery.. And EV Motors, for its part, began trading on the BME Growth small and medium-sized business market with the company’s total valuation is 329 million.. And this company has a capitalization of 400 million.
In the organizational chart illustrating this information, you can see the different companies, the percentage of participation of each of them, and the relationships that exist between them.
In terms of sales, this company plans to start production and sales now. in 2024, a total of 1,400 units will be produced. However, it will be 2025 when the Ebro starts circulating at cruising speed, with a total of 30,000 units sold. In addition, accelerated growth is expected in the coming years, allowing it to exceed 130,000 units sold in 2029.
On the billing side, the company forecasts very significant growth in overall sales, driven by At the end of 2024, 36 million euros are expected (including the start of vehicle production) and more than 1.918 million euros are expected in 2029.
What kind of Ebro cars?
As for the first cars that will appear on the market, these will be models s700 and s800, two mid-size SUVs with PHEV (plug-in hybrid) and internal combustion engines. which aim to become one of the best-selling models in 2025 in each segment.
Starting from Ebro s700, An SUV based on the Chery Tiggo 7. Its length is 4.51 meters.which means that it competes in the SUV-C segment and has a petrol version with a 1.6-liter engine producing 150 hp. and automatic transmission.
Except, It will also go on sale with a plug-in hybrid version.with a 1.5-liter gasoline engine and an electric motor, the total power of which is 350 hp. This model also has a range of more than 90 kilometers in electric mode.
As for the s800, it has the same engines, although the body is larger, as it reaches 4.72 meters. The latter is based on Chery Tiggo 8.
Sale prices will become known a little later, around December. In addition, they will be sold through a distribution network thatIt has more than 45 confirmed sales points, of which 30 will be operational by the end of the year.