Chinese car giant Chery will set up a new European headquarters in the UK for its commercial vehicles division as it looks to expand its electric vans business into Europe. This news marks a huge step in Chinese-UK automotive relations.
The site, to be based in Liverpool, will be largely focused on Research and Development (R&D) for the European market. It isn’t expected to be a manufacturing site for any vehicles, which will continue to be built in China.
Chery isn’t the first Chinese brand to set up shop in the UK, with Geely – owners of Volvo, Lotus et al – having had an R&D base in Coventry since 2018.
The news comes just days after reports emerged that the brand’s car-making arm was looking to use spare capacity at some of JLR’s sites to build cars here, as was Dongfeng with Nissan’s Sunderland site, to avoid EU-imposed tariffs on Chinese-made vehicles.
Then, Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (the UK’s largest automotive trade body), said that for any new entrant “you’d want them to use the UK supply chain where possible”.
This is what the new hub will do, reports the Liverpool Echo, meaning hundreds of jobs will be created. Liverpool City Council leader Cllr Liam Robinson said the news was “fantastic”.
Gong Yueqiong, general manager of Chery Commercial Vehicle, added that the firm was “building a British business”, not “just bringing products to the UK”.
The exact location of the site, or when it will open, have yet to be confirmed.
Chery Commercial Vehicles currently sells a host of different vehicles, but it will likely be its electric models it brings to Europe.
These buses under the Wanda brand, the R8 electric pickup (pictured below) under the Rely brand and electric vans and trucks – badged EV, EX7 and ET8 – under the Karry brand.
The group also makes a range of diesel lorries, dumper and cargo trucks under the C&C name, but that seems an unlikely product to bring to Europe.
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