A ceremony on November 23 marked the commencement of vehicle production at the joint venture between Spain’s Ebro-EV Motors and Chery Automobile. The commencement of production follows the signing of an agreement in April to develop new electric vehicles.
Initial production is via a direct DKD assembly method, with the parts being shipped from China to Spain for final assembly. This will later transition to a CKD model, where there will also be local welding, painting, and assembly.
The Ebro factory is located in Barcelona’s Zona Franca and repurposes a former Nissan plant that closed in 2021. Production targets call for 50,000 vehicles by 2027, increasing to 150,000 by 2029, and it’s expected to create 1250 jobs.
“Thanks to cooperation among institutions, unions, investors, and Chery, we are giving life to a new generation of vehicles that blend historical legacy with innovation,” said Rafael Ruiz, president of EV Motors, Ebro’s parent company.
It appears that three models will initially be produced at the plant. These include both the all-electric and ICE versions of the Omoda 5, along with two plug-in hybrid SUVs which will be sold under the Ebro brand.
The opening ceremony showed the first of these, the S700 SUV, which is a rebadged Chery Tiggo 7 Pro. This will be followed by the S800 SUV which will be a rebadged Chery Tiggo 8 Plus. Production of the Omoda 5 is expected to commence in the last quarter of 2025.
“Chery and Ebro join hands to pool the strengths of both companies and have committed to transforming the Ebro brand into the main national automobile brand in Spain,” said Chery’s Chairman Yin Tongyue.
It’s reported that EV Motors and Chery are considering establishing a joint R&D center in Barcelona.
Xinhua claims that Chery has become the first Chinese automaker to produce vehicles in Europe. This is not strictly true. SAIC previously produced MG cars in the UK, and Stellantis is currently producing Leapmotor models in Poland.
It is not clear whether the cars produced by this joint venture will purely be sold in the Spanish market or more widely in Europe. Xinhua reports that 45 sales outlets will be established in Spain, with 30 of them opening by the end of the year.
The deal sees the rebirth of the Ebro brand which disappeared in 1987. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the historic Spanish brand.
Sources: Xinhua, Fast Technology, Catalan News
