Gasgoo Munich- On April 8, 2026, Chery Auto officially launched its European Operations Center in Barcelona, Spain, and simultaneously established a Spanish research institute. This marks Chery's first regional operations hub in Europe, serving as a central platform for the company's operations, compliance, supply chain coordination, finance, and public affairs across the market.
Image Source: Chery Auto
Functionally, the center is more than a sales or after-sales support outpost; it serves as a regional headquarters with comprehensive management capabilities. Its establishment signals that Chery's European business has shifted from early market testing and product introduction to systematic local operations. This move also implies that Chery's resource allocation, decision-making processes, and compliance management in Europe will become increasingly centralized.
Meanwhile, the newly launched Spanish research institute will focus on electrification, smart mobility, and sustainability. According to Chery's plans, the institute will handle data protection and environmental compliance to align with European standards, while recruiting locally for engineering, product development, and operational roles. This reflects Chery's effort to shore up its local R&D and adaptation capabilities in Europe, responding to rising market demands for localized products.
Market data shows Chery now operates in 18 European countries, serving over 100,000 users. In the first two months of 2026, Chery's sales in the UK and EU markets reached 39,000 units, a 200% year-on-year increase. Of these, new-energy vehicle exports reached 11,500 units, up 250%. Notably, one in every five new-energy vehicles Chery exports is destined for Europe. This ratio underscores that Europe has become one of the most critical regions in Chery's export mix.
In the Spanish domestic market, Chery's Omoda and Jaecoo brand sales exceeded 40,000 units since entering in 2024, with more than 80% coming from new-energy models. In 2025, this brand combination broke into the top ten for private channel sales in Spain. This performance indicates that Chery has gained significant brand recognition and product acceptance among private consumers in parts of Europe, rather than relying solely on leasing or fleet sales.
Progress on local production is equally noteworthy. In 2024, Chery partnered with Spain's EV MOTORS to restart the former Nissan plant in Barcelona to produce EBRO brand vehicles. The plant's revival directly created over 1,000 local jobs, hailed by local governments and both Chinese and Spanish officials as a model of cooperation. From an industry perspective, the project gives Chery tangible production capacity and supply chain buffer space within the EU, helping to mitigate certain trade and tariff risks.
Taken together, Chery's European layout has formed a "triangular structure" of operations center, local R&D, and local production. This structure differs from the earlier strategy adopted by Chinese brands that relied solely on export agents or assembly plants, moving closer to the regional management style of native European automakers. For the industry, the opening of Chery's operations center offers a case study in how Chinese carmakers are executing systematic local operations in Europe.
Challenges, of course, remain. The EU's tariff policy on Chinese-made electric vehicles, competitive pressure from local and European automakers, and the varying requirements for carbon emissions and compliance across European nations are all variables Chery must continue to navigate. The establishment of the operations center resolves organizational structure issues, but product competitiveness, brand trust, and the actual coverage of after-sales networks still need to be validated in practice.
Image Source: Chery Auto
As of early 2026, Chery Group's global cumulative customer base exceeded 19 million, including 6.23 million overseas users, with business covering more than 130 countries and regions. Chery accounts for one in every five cars exported from China. The brand has ranked first among Chinese passenger vehicle exporters for 23 consecutive years. This move in Europe is both a natural extension of its accumulated export volume and a critical shift from an "export-oriented" model to "regional operations." Whether it can truly achieve the development of locally tailored products and integrate into the European industrial ecosystem will depend on the efficiency of its continued investment in R&D, talent, and supply chains.
