Great Wall Motor targets aggressive expansion in Europe

Great Wall Motor (GWLLF) (GWLLY) has a plan to boost its presence in Europe. The Chinese automaker confirmed that its first European plant will be at Bahovitsa, near Lovech, Bulgaria. The local partner Bulgarian Automotive Industry took over the site, which Great Wall Motor (GWLLF) (GWLLY) had used with Litex Motors until that company went bankrupt in 2016. The production lines are to be upgraded by the end of 2026, and assembly is expected to start in the first quarter of 2027

The first car built there will be the Ora 5 compact SUV, starting with the all-electric version, and other powertrains and models will follow. Planned capacity for the plant is 50K new energy vehicles a year. Great Wall Motor (GWLLF) (GWLLY) expects the Ora 5 to be its top seller in Europe.

Looking ahead, Great Wall Motor (GWLLF) (GWLLY) plans at least 10 new models and variants for Europe over the next two years. These include the Jolion, the Tank 300 off-roader, the P500 pickup, and the Wey G9 MPV. The Tank 300 is a body-on-frame 4x4 that will come with diesel and plug-in hybrid engines, and the P500 will use similar powertrains. The Wey G9 is a seven-seat hybrid. These cars join the Ora 03, Ora 07, Wey 03, Wey 05, and the new H7 SUV, and GWM’s Munich R&D center tunes them for European buyers.

Great Wall Motor (GWLLF) (GWLLY) is also expanding into more countries. The company already runs its subsidiaries in Italy and Spain. Looking ahead, there are plans for expansion to Austria, the Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary, and Greece in the first quarter of 2027; France and Switzerland for the second quarter; and Belgium, possibly with the Netherlands and Luxembourg, later in the year. The long-term goal is to snag 3% to 5% of the European market by 2030.