China’s Great Wall Motor (GWM) on Tuesday said it plans to launch at least 10 new models in Europe over the next two years as the carmaker attempts a comeback after a previous attempt in the market was not successful.
GWM was one of the first Chinese car companies to launch in Europe, making a splashy entrance with a line-up that was heavy on electric vehicles (EVs) at the 2021 Munich car show. But it struggled to gain traction in the highly competitive market.
Now, as part of its European push, it will commence sales in 13 European markets over the next 12 months.
“We don’t want to be the loser in any market in the world,” GWM International president Parker Shi told reporters at the company’s technology centre in Baoding, China. “We’ll come back and we will go with the right product.”
While more recent Chinese arrivals, including BYD, Chery’s Jaecoo and Omoda brands and Leapmotor, experienced rapid European growth in 2025, GWM’s sales fell 25.4% in 2024 and almost 30% in 2025 to just 3,500 cars.
As vehicle sales have stalled in China, local carmakers are racing to expand overseas in Europe and emerging markets.
As part of its fresh run at Europe, GWM will launch a broader mix of vehicles and powertrains — including hybrids and combustion-engine models as well as EVs — starting with the Ora 5 in the first half of 2026. The Ora 5 is a small urban car that will be available as an EV, a petrol burner and a hybrid.
Later this year, the company plans to launch the Jolion Max SUV and the H7, an off-road model.
At present, GWM sells in nine European markets, including Britain and Germany. European marketing director Thiemo Jahnke said the carmaker will begin sales in Italy and Spain in June, followed by Poland in July — plus 10 additional markets over the next 12 months.
Europe is crucial to GWM’s ambitious target to double overseas sales to 1-million vehicles by the end of the decade.
The company has said it aims to build a factory in Europe with an annual production capacity of 300,000 cars by 2029. GWM CEO Mu Feng said the carmaker has yet to decide on a location, but it is looking at central and southern Europe.
Automotive analyst Felipe Munoz said GWM’s focus on different powertrains means the company has a stronger slate of offerings than it did during its first foray into Europe. But he said some of the vehicles the company is talking about launching in Europe, including the large off-road Tank 300 SUV, will not be suitable for many car buyers there.
Industry experts have said that with a large number of Chinese rivals expanding into Europe, GWM will find it tougher to make headway on the continent.
“There are already too many Chinese carmakers in Europe,” Munoz said. “They will find it hard to differentiate themselves.”
Reuters
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