Chery aims at West from Russia
Chinese automaker Chery is still settling details to have its cars made for the Russian market at a Baltic factory. But it already is thinking about shipping its models to western Europe from there.
Contract manufacturing of Chery models from kits is set to start in April at Avtotor’s plant in Kaliningrad.
Chery also expects to produce up to 80,000 vehicles a year for the Russian market starting in mid-2007 when a new assembly line opens at the plant, Zhao Yi, head of Chery’s eastern Europe department, told Automotive News Europe.
“We would eventually like to export to western Europe from Russia – it is very convenient from a logistics standpoint,” said Yi from his office in China. He added: “We have a lot of preparation to do before our cars are ready for the market in western Europe.”
Yi declined to specify which models Chery intends to build in Russia. The contract work will be done at Avtotor’s plant in Kaliningrad, an enclave portion of Russia between Poland and Lithuania.
Booming business
Avtotor has assembled kits for several foreign clients, including General Motors, BMW and Kia, gradually expanding to a current estimated 20,000-unit capacity. It built 16,303 units last year, according to data from market researcher ASM Holding.
Owned by former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Scherbakov, Avtotor has ambitions for rapid growth.
Avtotor declined to comment.
Avtotor plans to triple total contract-assembly output to 45,000 units this year for all clients, say Russian press reports citing Avtotor Director Valerie Sokolov.
General Motors will add Korean-sourced kits and boost volume at Avtotor this year. “If you assume that we will be adding to their volume upwards of 15,000 units, you would not be far off,” said a well-placed GM source.
Avtotor also is building a new assembly line with 60,000-unit capacity to open in the first quarter of 2007.
Avtotor plans to start assembly of Admiral pickups for Chinese automaker Zhongxing this year.
Avtotor assembled a trial batch of Nanjing Yuejin pickups last year, although it does not yet have a contract to produce the trucks for sales in Russia.
Contract manufacturing of Chery models from kits is set to start in April at Avtotor’s plant in Kaliningrad.
Chery also expects to produce up to 80,000 vehicles a year for the Russian market starting in mid-2007 when a new assembly line opens at the plant, Zhao Yi, head of Chery’s eastern Europe department, told Automotive News Europe.
“We would eventually like to export to western Europe from Russia – it is very convenient from a logistics standpoint,” said Yi from his office in China. He added: “We have a lot of preparation to do before our cars are ready for the market in western Europe.”
Yi declined to specify which models Chery intends to build in Russia. The contract work will be done at Avtotor’s plant in Kaliningrad, an enclave portion of Russia between Poland and Lithuania.
Booming business
Avtotor has assembled kits for several foreign clients, including General Motors, BMW and Kia, gradually expanding to a current estimated 20,000-unit capacity. It built 16,303 units last year, according to data from market researcher ASM Holding.
Owned by former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Scherbakov, Avtotor has ambitions for rapid growth.
Avtotor declined to comment.
Avtotor plans to triple total contract-assembly output to 45,000 units this year for all clients, say Russian press reports citing Avtotor Director Valerie Sokolov.
General Motors will add Korean-sourced kits and boost volume at Avtotor this year. “If you assume that we will be adding to their volume upwards of 15,000 units, you would not be far off,” said a well-placed GM source.
Avtotor also is building a new assembly line with 60,000-unit capacity to open in the first quarter of 2007.
Avtotor plans to start assembly of Admiral pickups for Chinese automaker Zhongxing this year.
Avtotor assembled a trial batch of Nanjing Yuejin pickups last year, although it does not yet have a contract to produce the trucks for sales in Russia.
posted by Smartcar Owner at 2:15 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home