The production capacity of the GWM plant will be 100,000 vehicles per year. Currently, there are plans to launch four electric vehicles under the ORA brand and six GWM hybrids over the next three years. The plant will also be Great Wall’s fourth largest manufacturing site worldwide.
To achieve the target of 100,000 vehicles per year, GWM plans to begin modernization and expansion of the plant in the first half of 2023. The manufacturer also announced plans to invest 10 billion Brazilian reais (equivalent to 1.83 billion euros) over ten years to develop car production in Brazil, including R&D and a supplier network. The goal is to achieve a localization level of more than 60% through cooperation with local companies.
The first vehicle to be produced at the new plant will be a “biofuel (alcohol gasoline) hybrid truck” called the Poer. Biofuels are widely used in Brazil, with engines labeled fuel-flex capable of running both gasoline and ethanol. Ethanol is considered a bridge to zero-emission transportation because it can also be used to produce hydrogen and facilitate its commercialization.
The Brazil plant will be GWM’s first to specialize exclusively in hybrid and electric vehicles. Brazil’s Vice President Geraldo Alckmin praised the project, saying: “Brazil’s new industrialization must include decarbonization and innovation, as well as the creation of more sustainable and efficient production methods.” Thanks to GWM’s investment in developing car manufacturing in Brazil, the country will become a major hub for the electric vehicle industry in Latin America.
Sources: GWM, Argusmedia