GWM is starting European production in Bulgaria. The Ora 5 will be built there from the first quarter of 2027, with partner Bulgarian Automotive Industry planning annual capacity of 50,000 units, Automotive World reports. GWM announced the move at the Milan launch of its H7, together with a pledge of at least 10 new and derivative models for Europe within two years.
Why build locally
BTA, citing Reuters, says GWM's China-built EVs face an extra EU duty of 20.7% on top of the standard 10% import tariff. GWM did not disclose financial terms. CTO Nicole Wu said: «We don't just want to sell cars in Europe: we want to become part of Europe» (translated from Bulgarian).
Europe setup
GWM sells through subsidiaries in Spain, Italy and the Netherlands, with France and others to follow. It runs an R&D center in Munich, opened in 2021.