Great Wall Motor plans to open experience centers in Munich and Berlin in 2022, and its WEY Coffee 01 and ORA Cat models will soon be available for pre-order.

(Image credit: Great Wall Motor)

After gaining a firm foothold in its home market, Chinese carmakers seek to gain a bigger share of the international market.

Great Wall Motor opened its German subsidiary in Munich on November 18 and set up its European headquarters as a hub to tap the European market to accelerate its expansion strategy here, the company said Monday.

The functions of its European headquarters will cover research and development, sales and management, with research and development focusing on vehicle integration, vehicle component development, electronic powertrain platform development and integration, smart driving and connected vehicles.

Great Wall Motor will continue to expand its Munich team, with total headcount expected to increase to nearly 300 by early 2022, the company said.

(Image credit: Great Wall Motor)

The establishment of the European headquarters will strengthen collaboration between Great Wall Motor and suppliers, including investments in companies up and down the supply chain, the company said.

Notably, this is not Great Wall Motor's first foray into the European market.

The company's power battery division, Svolt Energy, had previously selected Saarland, Germany, to build a battery plant with a total investment of 2 billion euros, including a cell module plant and a module pack plant.

Great Wall Motor's components subsidiary Nobo Automotive Systems has production sites for car roofs in Jüberhein and Bremen.

Great Wall Motor plans to open experience centers in Munich and Berlin in 2022, and it is about to start pre-sales for its WEY Coffee 01 and ORA Cat models, with the first vehicles to be delivered in the first half of 2022, according to the company.

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