Liverpool has been chosen as the site for Chinese carmaker Chery’s European research and development headquarters, bringing European commercial vehicle operations to Merseyside. The state-owned manufacturer will house research, engineering, and commercial functions at the facility.
Chery has built a presence in the UK market through its Omoda and Jaecoo brands, and is introducing its flagship Chery brand with an advertising campaign fronted by former England footballer Peter Crouch. The strategic brand rollout reflects the company’s long-term commitment to the British automotive sector.
The UK government has been working on a potential arrangement for Jaguar Land Rover to build Chery electric vehicles domestically. This partnership was expected to be addressed during Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s official visit to Beijing, though no deal has been formally confirmed.
Industry expert David Bailey from the University of Birmingham suggested any manufacturing agreement would likely utilize spare capacity at JLR’s Halewood facility on Merseyside, welcoming the headquarters announcement while noting no manufacturing deal had been finalized. The Halewood plant, which produces the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque, has substantial excess capacity following production declines from over 200,000 vehicles in 2017.
JLR’s operations faced additional challenges when a cyber-attack in late 2024 completely halted production for several weeks. Victor Zhang, Chery UK director, stated in June that the company was “actively considering” building a UK manufacturing plant as part of its localization strategy. Liverpool city council leader Liam Robinson praised Chery’s decision, calling it a major vote of confidence in the city. Gong Yueqiong, general manager of Chery Commercial Vehicle, emphasized: “We are not just bringing products to the UK – we are building a British business,” with Chery’s “‘In UK, For UK, Be UK’ strategy” centered on recruiting local talent, collaborating with British institutions, and adapting to local needs to become an integral contributor to the UK’s automotive industry and economy, reflecting confidence in Britain’s talent pool, infrastructure, and green technology commitment.