China’s Chery and Ebro will produce 150,000 cars in Barcelona in 2029 and create up to 1,250 jobs at the former Nissan plant in the Free Zone.
Ebro Factory, an alliance between the Asian manufacturer and Spain’s EV Motors, is completing the process of reindustrializing the land that the Japanese firm abandoned in 2021.
Agreement on the landing of a Chinese automobile concern cherry at old sites in the city Nissan V Barcelona Free Trade Zone will allow to produce up to 150,000 cars in 2029 (previously in 2027 there will be 50 thousand), and they will recover until 1250 jobs.
This was announced today Pedro CalefCEO Ebrobrand owned Electric Cars Motors who signed an agreement with cherryduring the official signing of the alliance, which makes the company the first Chinese manufacturer to produce in Europe.
Both circumstances explain why the Prime Minister was present at the event, Pedro SanchezMinister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi HereuPresident of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonesand the Minister of Business and Labor, Roger Torrentand Vice Governor of Anhui Province, China Shan Xiangqian. Zhang GuibingExecutive Vice President Cherie Carwas responsible for the signing of the agreement by an Asian multinational corporation. Ebro FactoryName joint venture in which Electric Cars Motors will be the majority partner, planned investment 400 million euros long-term.
Omoda
The project will begin this year with vehicle production until the summer. Omodaone of the brands cherry. These will be the units of the model. Omoda 5 in their own versions combustion And electricwhich, to accelerate the industrialization of production, will initially be created according to the formula DKD (Direct knockdown), that is, the assembly of large parts that will arrive at the factory in finished form. However, future plans suggest that Free zone take over all production processes (CKD: Full knockdown) and local suppliers join them. This will mean that initially only 150 employees.
In the last quarter of the year, cars from the revived Spanish brand will be replenished. Ebrowhich corresponds to 70th anniversary its foundation. To start, SUV advanced technologies, and later the turn will come pick up 100% electric, which was introduced 11 months ago in Motor show in Barcelona.
There are also plans to create Research and Development Center in Barcelona dedicated to adapting production to the European market.
In his speeches, Sánchez emphasized “the ability of Spanish industry to reinvent itself and adapt to global challenges.” The President expressed the government’s “full commitment to Barcelona and Catalonia as an industrial center in all areas, but especially in the automotive sector.”
In this sense, the chief executive noted the joint work of various administrations: “United, we are unstoppable, we have demonstrated this by working side by side over all these years.”
Sanchez cited several examples of collaboration between agencies and the private sector, such as one made possible by a new gas systems assembly plant. batteries For electric vehicles at the city’s facilities seat in Martorell (Barcelona).
“We have achieved the reindustrialization of one of the most important factories in Catalonia in the last 80 years,” said Aragones, who wanted to justify the work consultant Torrent, who visited China last week for the final stages of negotiations.
“We have restored the industrial essence of our country, today we can confirm a bright future,” Kalef said on a day he called “very important.”
“Once we reach scale, the plant will become one of the largest export points cherry all over the world,” Giebing finally emphasized.
Reindustrialization of Nissan
1422 days after Nissan announced on May 28, 2020 that it is closing its factories in Catalonia, the alliance Electric Cars Motors With cherry ends the lengthy negotiation process to re-industrialize the lands that the Japanese multinational left behind forever at the end of 2021.
At the beginning of the pandemic COVID-19closure of three facilities (the main one in Free zone And suppliers from Moncada and Reyshak And San Andreu de la Barca) was one of the few news stories to have consequences beyond those of the health crisis, as it left more than 2,500 people unemployed and put thousands more at risk. indirect jobs and the future of several supplier companies.