Chery Automobile to Open New UK Research Centre

Chinese Carmaker Expands Research and Development Presence in Britain                     

                         

Chinese automaker Chery Automobile is set to open a new passenger-vehicle research and development centre in the United Kingdom, strengthening its push into the European market.

The facility will be based at UTAC Millbrook in Bedfordshire and is expected to open later this year. It will focus on adapting Chery vehicles to UK road conditions while developing technologies in areas including artificial intelligence and autonomous driving.

Growing UK Presence

The move comes as Chery expands rapidly in Britain through brands including Omoda, Jaecoo and Lepas. Together, the brands accounted for almost 8% of the UK car market in July, up from about 3% a year earlier.

Chery has also been building a wider European presence. Earlier this year, its commercial vehicle arm established a European headquarters in Liverpool, with plans covering research, engineering and new-energy vehicle development.

The new Bedfordshire centre is expected to create opportunities for local engineers and technology specialists while helping Chery develop vehicles specifically suited to European customers.

The expansion highlights the growing competition between Chinese and established European automakers as the global industry moves toward electric, connected and AI-powered vehicles.