Many MindedGreat Wall Motor picks Bulgarian plant for its first European car production
Great Wall Motor plans to start building cars in Lovech, Bulgaria, with the first vehicle targeted for the first quarter of 2027. The company said the base will be run with Bulgarian Automotive Industry (BAI). Chief technology officer Wu Huixiao disclosed the plan on October 27 at the GWM H7 launch in Milan, and a company statement followed on October 28.
Planned capacity is 50,000 vehicles a year, with the Ora 5 as the first model. Upgrades to the plant's production lines are due to finish by the end of 2026 so it can build new energy vehicles. The site is meant to feed GWM distribution in markets including Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, and to deepen localization of its European supply chain. GWM also plans a European industrial park for vehicles and components, but gave no construction timeline. It intends to launch at least 10 new models and variants in Europe over the next two years.
Why it matters: building inside the EU can reduce the tariff and shipping costs that push up the price of imported Chinese-designed EVs. If those savings reach buyers, affordable electric cars become more available in Europe. A local supply chain would also make the vehicles cheaper to produce and service.
What to watch: the Q1 2027 date is a target, not a confirmed start. GWM did not say how Lovech fits with the aim it reported in November 2025 of 300,000 European vehicles a year by 2029, or with its earlier look at sites in Spain and Hungary. At 50,000 units the plant is modest, matching the size of GWM's Brazilian plant. GWM's September 2026 sales fell 13.99% year-on-year, though nine-month sales were nearly flat, down 0.33%.
Source: CnEVPost