In the hyper-competitive and overly saturated Chinese car market, Ford has largely given up its aspirations of becoming a major player, but it still maintains a profitable business in the country, regardless. Much of that can be attributed to the automaker’s joint-venture with Changan Automobile – Changan Ford – which builds vehicles locally for the Chinese market. In recent years, Changan has grown its business considerably, and now, it has announced a big expansion plan for Europe, too.
Changan first entered the European market in 2003 by establishing a design center there, but now, it’s also launching the CHANG-AN, DEEPAL, and AVATR brands in Germany as well. The goal of this expansion is to localize operations for the European region, all while meeting industry standards and building trust with consumers by producing vehicles locally, as well as relying on a more localized supply chain, too.
“Changan is an open and collaborative company driven by a clear mission: to lead sustainable mobility and benefit human life,” said Zhu Huarong, Chairman of Changan Automobile. “Along the way, we’ve consistently learned from Europe – a hub of innovation and home to some of the world’s leading automotive companies. Together with global partners, the Company strives to deepen collaborative innovation and build Changan into a world-class brand in the automotive industry.”
Changan will certainly face its fair share of competition in Europe, a market that will soon welcome the hyper-popular BYD Seagull, which will be among the cheapest EVs on sale in that market when it launches. That’s precisely why Ford is working to develop lower-cost EVs, all while ramping up the production of existing models in the coming months. In fact, as Ford Authority recently reported, The Blue Oval plans to double its production output of all-electric vehicles globally in 2025, largely on the backs of its European business.
No Comments yet