Ora 5 production in Bulgaria shows GWM treating Europe as a home market, with tariffs and tastes both pushing it to build locally
Great Wall Motor (GWM) will start Ora 5 production in Bulgaria from the first quarter of 2027, with partner Bulgarian Automotive Industry planning annual capacity of 50,000 units. Unveiled at the Milan launch of the H7, the move comes alongside a pledge of at least 10 new and derivative models for Europe within two years.
The Ora 5 will be the first GWM model built in Europe, a step on from an import business that began in 2006. Local assembly also gives the automaker a base in the European Union, which has applied extra duties to China-built electric vehicles since 2024. Integrated industrial parks for vehicles and components will follow as the range grows.
Sales run through subsidiaries in Spain, Italy and the Netherlands, with France and other markets to follow. Product planning draws on a research and development (R&D) centre in Munich, opened in 2021, which studies local demand, manages regulatory compliance and handles validation.
European engineers put the Ora 5 and H7 through more than 100,000km of road tests, plus customer research running to thousands of hours, refining chassis, steering, powertrain and seating. GWM says more than 28,000 people work in R&D, with annual spending above €1.3bn (US$1.5bn).
In a statement, Nicole Wu, Chief Technology Officer of GWM, said: “Localisation is not about making products fit the market; it is about building market needs into the DNA of our products. We don’t just want to sell cars to Europe: we want to become part of Europe.”
Source: GWM
Source: www.automotiveworld.com
