A planned 50,000-vehicle annual capacity will make Bahovitsa, Bulgaria, the first European plant for Great Wall Motor (GWM). The company plans to begin series assembly there for its electric Ora 5 in the first quarter. The move also responds to the cost of EU tariffs on imported Chinese electric vehicles, according to the source report.
How did GWM arrive at this site?
GWM assessed locations for its first European plant in 2025, with Spain and Hungary considered as possible destinations. The company had already established a presence at Bahovitsa in 2012, assembling vehicles from semi-knocked-down kits. This earlier operation made GWM the first Chinese automaker to enter Europe, the report says. Production ended in 2016 after its Bulgarian partner, Litex Motors, became bankrupt.
The factory buildings subsequently came under the Bulgarian Automotive Industry (BAI), which later renovated the plant. BAI is expected to retain ownership under the new arrangement. GWM is due to take over the facility from 2027, while BAI will carry out contract manufacturing for agreed volumes as an independent company. That division means the site owner and the company leading the production plan will not be the same party.
What will the plant make first?
The first named model is the Ora 5, an electric compact SUV that is already available in Europe as an import. Series assembly is planned to begin in the first quarter, but the source does not state the year for that start. The operation is expected to begin with SKD assembly. This means vehicles are assembled from semi-knocked-down kits rather than being made entirely from locally produced parts.
GWM CTO Nicole Wu said that some parts would be localised from the start, alongside the SKD assembly approach. The source does not specify which parts or identify local suppliers. BAI’s Director of International Business, Dontschew, said the step marks the beginning of broader collaboration between the two companies. No investment figure, workforce estimate or detailed production schedule is included in the report.
How does capacity compare with GWM’s target?
Bahovitsa is planned to produce 50,000 vehicles each year. GWM aims to reach European production of around 300,000 vehicles annually by 2029, according to the source. The report says the company will need other European plants or a significant expansion of existing capacity to reach that goal. It does not name additional facilities or explain how much production would come from each one.
Why does local production matter to tariffs?
The report describes EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports as a key driver of GWM’s plan. Producing vehicles locally in Bulgaria would allow GWM to avoid those import tariffs, it says. The source does not give tariff rates or set out how they would apply to Ora 5 imports. Local manufacturing also forms part of GWM’s stated effort to build a more local European operation, including research and development and manufacturing.
What remains to be confirmed?
The source leaves several operational details open, including the exact timing for the first Ora 5 assembly and the volumes BAI will manufacture under contract. It also does not explain when the plant could reach its planned capacity. The next reported milestones are the production start and GWM’s planned takeover from 2027. Whether additional sites or expanded capacity follow will determine how the company approaches its 2029 ambition.