Great Wall Motor sets Lovech facility in Bulgaria to begin Ora 5 EV assembly in early 2027
Great Wall Motor has partnered with Bulgarian Automotive Industry to establish an assembly hub in Lovech, targeting 50,000 electrified vehicles annually starting in the first quarter of 2027.
- 50,000 units
- Q1 2027
- 20.7%
What Happened
Great Wall Motor is establishing a vehicle assembly base in Lovech, Bulgaria, through a joint industrial partnership with Bulgarian Automotive Industry. Factory teams plan to complete necessary tooling and production line overhauls before the close of 2026, setting the site to produce its first finished car during the opening quarter of 2027.
The facility is designed for an ultimate run rate of 50,000 electrified units per year. Initial vehicle output will center on the battery-powered Ora 5 crossover, establishing an operational European Union manufacturing footprint that links with Great Wall Motor's existing technical center in Munich, Germany, alongside retail channels across Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands.
The shift toward localized European assembly follows trade measures implemented by the European Union, which levied an additional 20.7 percent duty against the manufacturer's Chinese battery-electric imports alongside the baseline 10 percent border tariff. Chief Technology Officer Wu Huixiao outlined the European manufacturing roadmap during an industry presentation in Milan.
50,000vehicles
20.7%
applied on imported electric vehicles
Why this matters
The Bulgarian facility marks Great Wall Motor's transition from direct vehicle shipments to regional manufacturing inside the European Union. Local assembly allows the carmaker to bypass punitive European countervailing duties while tying continental sales directly to its Munich engineering base.
Terms in This Story
- Anti-subsidy tariffs
- Duties imposed on imported goods to neutralize foreign government subsidies.
- New energy vehicles
- An automotive term covering battery electric, plug-in hybrid, and fuel-cell vehicles.
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