GWM Targets Q1 2027 Start at 50,000-Unit Bulgaria Plant

Great Wall Motor plans to build 50,000 vehicles a year in Lovech, Bulgaria, with the first car rolling off the line in the first quarter of 2027. That's the hardest number in the company's announcement — and, on paper, it moves the Chinese automaker from selling imports in Europe to making vehicles on European soil.

GWM (HKEX: 2333) announced the plan in a statement on Wednesday. It will partner with Bulgarian Automotive Industry (BAI) on the Lovech base. Chief technology officer Wu Huixiao disclosed the project on October 27 at the launch of the GWM H7 in Milan, Italy.

The timeline is concrete, if tight. Upgrades to the plant's production lines are scheduled for completion by the end of 2026, enabling production of new energy vehicles. The Ora 5 will be the first model built there — a small EV, not a volume headline-grabber.

What does the plant actually change?

For now, it changes the map more than the output. The Bulgarian base will connect with GWM's existing research and development and sales networks, extending its European operations from selling imported vehicles to producing them locally. The company said Lovech will link up with distribution networks in markets including Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, and will serve as a base for further localization of its European supply chain.

That's an intention, stated by the company. No production data exists yet to verify it. The 50,000-unit figure is a planned capacity, not a confirmed ramp curve or order book.

GWM also plans to develop an industrial park in Europe integrating vehicle and component production, and to gradually expand its product lineup in response to market demand. It did not disclose a construction timeline for the park. An intention without a date, in other words.

Where does this fit in GWM's bigger plan?

The company will introduce at least 10 new models and variants in Europe over the next two years, broadening its lineup for local consumers. For scale: 10 nameplates across 24 months is roughly one launch per quarter — an aggressive cadence for a brand still establishing its dealer footprint.

The European engineering backbone predates the factory. GWM set up its European R&D center in Munich in 2021, and its team participates in requirements research, regulatory compliance work and engineering validation from the outset of vehicle development projects. For the Ora 5 and GWM H7, that team ran road tests and user research, prompting adjustments to the chassis, steering, powertrain and seats.

There's a gap in the story, though. Reuters reported in November 2025, citing GWM International president Parker Shi, that the company was evaluating factory sites in countries including Spain and Hungary, with a goal of producing 300,000 vehicles annually in Europe by 2029. GWM's latest statement did not explain how the Bulgarian base relates to that target or those site-selection plans. Lovech's 50,000 units covers one-sixth of the 2029 number — the remaining 250,000 would need sites nobody has confirmed.

Is Bulgaria the whole picture?

Not quite. The European push extends a pattern GWM has already run elsewhere. Its Brazilian plant began operations in August 2025, also with an annual capacity of 50,000 vehicles. Same playbook, different continent: a mid-sized localized plant feeding regional distribution.

What to watch next: whether the Lovech line upgrades finish on schedule by end-2026, whether the Ora 5 actually launches from the plant in Q1 2027, and — the big one — whether GWM names the additional sites needed to reach 300,000 units by 2029.