Shanghai (ZXZC)- Great Wall Motor (GWM) signed an agreement with Rizhao Municipal Government, Shandong Province on Aug. 16, saying that GWM will build a complete vehicle manufacturing and R&D base in Rizhao.

According to the agreement, covering four techniques, GWM's complete vehicle manufacturing and R&D base will mainly manufacture models under GWM's high-end brand, WEY.

At the same time, GWM will also set up a R&D center at Shanhaitian tourist resort area. The project will be constructed in sync with the manufacturing base. The two projects will feature world-leading complete vehicle R&D and design center, style center, artificial intelligence (AI) lab, new energy fuel cell R&D center and powertrain center, integrating design and R&D, test and trail production, quality control, synergic development, technical pre-research.

The to-be-built R&D center will be GWM's second R&D center outside Baoding. Moreover, in Japan, America, Australia and Germany, GWM also owns R&D centers, which can develop and design sedans, SUVs, pickups as well as powertrain. These R&D centers can also develop ten models simultaneously.

It is known that GWM has four complete vehicle manufacturing bases. With a total investment of RMB 8 billion, the fourth one sited in Yongchuan, Chongqing started construction on Mar. 28, 2018, covering an area of 1,200mu (around 800,000 square meters). To be put into operation in 2019, the manufacturing base will mainly produce GWM's high-end pickups and the H9 with an annual production capacity of 250,000 units and an annual production value of RMB 25 billion.