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SAIC’s Galicia EV push
China’s SAIC plans to build its first electric vehicle factory in Europe in Spain’s Galicia, with regional authorities saying the project will be sited in the port of Ferrol and in the municipality of As Pontes.
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The Galician government said the plant is expected to produce 120,000 vehicles per year, with an investment of up to 200 million euros and an initial job creation target of 2,300 jobs, including 1,000 direct roles.
Alfonso Rueda, president of the Xunta, said the project was granted strategic status in the Xunta’s weekly meeting and that procedures can be streamlined so construction can begin in 2027.
The regional government also said the facilities would include a logistics hub, and that SAIC has committed that “a very significant part” of its supply will be of European origin.
The project still requires central approval for foreign direct investment, and one report said construction should start next year and the factory would become operational in 2028 if approvals are in place.
Timeline and jobs
Regional officials said the Ferrol project is expected to begin construction in 2027 and start production in 2028, with the plant’s output target set at 120,000 cars per year.
La Voz de Galicia reported that the first phase involves an investment of €200 million and will generate 2,000 jobs, half of them direct, in Ferrol and another 300 in As Pontes.
The same report said the project’s designation as Project of Strategic Interest (PIE) is intended to cut timelines “in half” to meet SAIC’s schedule.
It also said the core of the complex will be located at the facilities of Ferrol’s outer port, while As Pontes will serve as the industrial and logistics center.
In parallel, another outlet said the plant would create about 1,000 direct jobs and use many locally produced components, while construction should start next year and the factory become operational in 2028 if approvals arrive in time.
Tariffs and supply-chain strategy
Multiple reports tied SAIC’s move to EU tariff pressure on Chinese electric vehicles, with one account saying the goal is to avoid additional tariffs on imported EVs by assembling inside the bloc.
“Finimize Pro Galicia says the €200 million Ferrol project could start construction next year and reach 120,000 cars a year by 2028, pending central approval”
L'Auto-Journal said MG’s objective is to avoid additional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles imported into the EU, noting a rise of nearly 38% in duties to be added to the existing 10%.
Finimize said the Ferrol project could start construction next year and reach 120,000 cars a year by 2028 pending central approval, framing the plan as pairing an assembly plant with a logistics hub and using many locally produced components.
The same outlet said the project’s logic is to shorten supply lines and reduce delays, while another report said SAIC has committed that “a very significant part” of its supply will be of European origin.
Separately, the South China Morning Post said the project includes a logistics hub and that Galicia’s leader Alfonso Rueda described the investment as around €200 million (US$232 million), with the plant expected to become operational in 2028 after approvals.
