The Barcelona plant of Nissan will be Chery: the brand's arrival in the Catalan capital is being prepared

The Zona Franca de Barcelona housed the Nissan plant for many decades, although in 2021 the brand ceased production at this factory, and since then it has remained unused under any brand. Rumours have circulated for the past few years that several brands were interested in these facilities, but nothing concrete ever materialised. At last, it seems that a brand has shown interest in acquiring them and in putting them to continuous use.

The Ministry of Industry has started talks with one of the most dynamic Chinese brands, whose models are arriving in Europe and need a production base on the continent to reduce costs. The Chinese company is Chery and intends to begin operating in Barcelona very soon, provided the talks between the Ministry and the multinational bear fruit.

The brand’s concrete plans are not yet known, but they hope to reactivate the facilities and recover most of the 1,600 jobs that were lost after the Japanese brand departed. The multinational has operated in China since 1997 and sells brands such as Jaecoo, Luxeed and Omoda, among others.

For the time being, a Spanish delegation will travel to the headquarters of Chery in China to finalise the terms of the acquisition contract on the part of the multinational. It seems that everything is clear and that the signing will take place shortly, so that production at the Zona Franca plant can start as soon as possible.

It is not yet known which models will be produced at this factory, but production is expected not to be limited to electric models; combustion-engine models, both pure and with hybrid powertrains, are also expected to be assembled.