Chery is accelerating its localization strategy in Europe and plans to expand production capacity by partnering with local automakers to utilize existing factories, rather than building new plants from scratch, according to company executives cited by Reuters. Speaking at the Omoda and Jaecoo brand launch event in Paris, Lionel French Keogh, Chief Commercial Officer of Chery France, said the company is actively seeking additional production capacity across Europe. Omoda exhxbition Chery Chairman Yin Tongyue stated that, compared with capital-intensive greenfield investments, the company prefers to leverage existing manufacturing infrastructure. He did not disclose specific partners or the number of countries involved but confirmed that France has been included as a potential location. Since entering the European market in 2023, Chery has expanded rapidly and is now present in 18 countries, serving more than 100,000 users. Last week, the company officially inaugurated its European Operations Center in Barcelona, Spain, marking its first overseas regional headquarters. Chery’s European Operations Center Dataforce figures show that Chery sold approximately 120,000 vehicles in Europe last year, nearly six times the 17,000 units recorded in 2024. Growth momentum has continued into this year. In January–February, Chery sold 39,000 vehicles in the UK and EU markets, up 200% year-on-year. It includes 11,500 new energy vehicles, which surged 250%. Europe has become its core overseas market for new energy vehicles. Chery has already established a production footprint in Europe through cooperation with Ebro, utilizing a former Nissan plant in Barcelona, with plans to scale annual capacity to 200,000 units by 2029. However, company executives noted that the existing facility alone is insufficient to meet growing European demand, nor can it fully address EU tariffs on Chinese-made EVs and localization requirements. Lepas L4 Market expansion is also progressing. France is one of the key markets where Omoda and Jaecoo entered relatively late, and Chery plans to launch its own-brand models there in the fourth quarter, potentially introducing a compact electric SUV before year-end. At the same time, the company is preparing to introduce a new export-only brand, Lepas, in Europe, covering both plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles.