SAIC Motor, a Chinese language state-owned automaker, is doubling down on its EV technique in Europe following encouraging gross sales thus far this 12 months. The large automaker lately shared plans to erect a brand new EV manufacturing facility abroad, to assist ship fashions to its rising viewers available in the market.

SAIC Motor (aka Shanghai Automotive Business Company) is at present a world Fortune 100 firm and a member of the “large 4” Chinese language state-owned automakers transitioning to EVs – whether or not its in its dwelling nation, different elements of Asia, and now Europe. Along with its personal home gross sales in China, SAIC operates a number of joint ventures with different world automakers, together with SAIC-Volkwagen, chargeable for delivering the VW, Skoda, and Audi marques to Chinese language clients.

SAIC-GM-Wuling Vehicle (SGMW) stays a serious joint-venture abroad, producing business and shopper automobiles beneath the Wuling and Baojun manufacturers. Should you embrace its joint ventures, SAIC Motor exists as one of many largest plug-in electrical automobile corporations, along with being the second largest strictly BEV firm on this planet.

Lengthy earlier than it was pumping out EVs, Chinese language state-owned SAIC started its entry into Europe by investing in UK-based MG Motor. Fellow state-owned firm Nanjing Vehicle had acquired the British automaker in 2005, serving to reintroduce new fashions donning the “MG” badge for the primary time in a decade, though they had been being inbuilt China.

Two years later, SAIC wholly acquired Nanjing Vehicle and established MG Motor UK Restricted beneath its new SAIC Motor UK sub-brand. At this time, MG Motor continues to develop in recognition in China, the UK, elements of Asia, and Europe. Actually, the Chinese language automaker estimates its abroad gross sales could exceed 1.2 million items this 12 months alone – an enormous majority of which coming from MG EVs in Europe

To fulfill this urge for food abroad, SAIC shared intentions to determine EV manufacturing in its rising market.

SAIC seems to be so as to add to rising listing of Chinese language EVs in Europe

SAIC Motor detailed its plans for growth in Europe this week, together with a brand new devoted EV web site someplace within the area – though precisely the place stays unknown. The automaker did share that it bought 530,000 items abroad within the first quarter of 2023, up 40% in comparison with a 12 months in the past.

SAIC additionally relayed that just about 70% of these gross sales got here from the MG model in Europe alone. That market noticed greater than double gross sales within the first half of 2023 (115,000 items). Within the first 5 months of this 12 months, SAIC Motor has remained the biggest exporter of Chinese language automakers, garnering a rising demand for EVs from MG Motor in Europe.

The state-owned automaker joined different personal Chinese language corporations like NIO, XPeng, and BYD in a rising growth of EV choices in Europe. None of those corporations have entered the US market but nevertheless – some have shared intentions to sometime, different haven’t.

Smaller, extra sustainable, and EV-centric international locations like these in Scandinavia have been seeing the inflow of Chinese language EVs first, however different territories just like the Netherlands and Germany are additionally beginning to see showrooms and gross sales. This might supply a touch as to the place SAIC Motor may inevitably be trying to arrange store for EU manufacturing, however we gained’t know for positive till the automaker divulges that info.