Spanish vehicle producer Ebro-EV Motors and China’s Chery Automobile have celebrated the start of vehicle production at their Ebro Factory joint venture in Barcelona, with a ceremony attended by Spanish Minister of Industry and Tourism Jordi Hereu.
The two companies signed the joint venture agreement in April, with the aim of developing and producing vehicles under the relaunched Ebro brand.
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Ebro EV Motors took over the plant, located in the Villa Franca port area of Barcelona, from Nissan after the Japanese automaker ceased production in 2021. Under the new owners, the facility will produce plug-in hybrid (PHEVs) and internal combustion engine (ICE) S700 and S800 SUVs, based on the Chery Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8.
Rafael Ruiz, president of EV Motors – Ebro’s parent company, speaking at the ceremony said: “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.” The launch coincides with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the previous embodiment of the iconic Spanish Ebro commercial vehicle brand.
Chery’s Chairman, Yin Tongyue, added: “Chery and Ebro join hands to pool together the strengths of both companies and have committed to transforming the Ebro brand into the main national automobile brand in Spain. The aim is to achieve sustainable development through the joint development and promotion of new green energy technologies.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, commenting on the alliance, said: “It is not common to witness the rebirth of an iconic brand and today we all share a feeling of joy.”
The joint venture plans to produce 50,000 vehicles annually by 2027, rising to 150,000 by 2029.
