The new Chinese brand that has just arrived in Spain already manufactures its electric cars in Europe, but the supply is not sufficient, and it wants to produce many more.
23/09/2026 17:00
Updated to
23/09/2026 17:00
Europe has become one of GAC’s key targets, with Spain playing a significant role in those plans. The Chinese manufacturer officially entered our country last June with two electric vehicles, the Aion V and Aion UT, and now aims to strengthen another essential element for growth on the continent: local production.
Cédric Lacour, deputy general manager of GAC France, confirmed that the company is considering expanding its manufacturing capacity in Europe. “We really want to establish a long-term presence here, which automatically means we need production capacity,” he told Reuters. It has not yet been announced where this additional capacity will be located, so there is no confirmed industrial project in Spain for now.
GAC Already Assembles in Europe the Electric Vehicles It Sells in Spain
The company isn’t starting from scratch. GAC currently assembles the Aion V and Aion UT at Magna Steyr’s facilities in Graz, Austria. The components are still primarily manufactured in China before being sent to Europe for final vehicle assembly there. This strategy allows the manufacturer to strengthen its presence in Europe and reduce the impact of community tariffs applied to electric vehicles from China.
The Aion UT began its European production on March 18th last year and became the second GAC model manufactured at Magna’s facilities after the Aion V. It is a compact electric vehicle with a length of 4,270 mm and a wheelbase of 2,750 mm, offering up to 430 km of WLTP range. It can recharge from 30% to 80% of its battery capacity in 24 minutes using direct current.
The Aion V represents the SUV alternative and was the first GAC vehicle to have its production located in Europe. Both cars have also been chosen by the company to launch its presence in Spain. GAC claims that these European vehicles are not merely assembled locally, as its design center in Milan also contributes to adapting them to the preferences and needs of customers on the continent.
Spain Is Already One of the Markets Chosen for Its Expansion
GAC officially entered Spain on June 4, 2026, through Grupo Invicta. The company started with 29 sales outlets on the Peninsula and announced it would later expand its presence to the Balearic Islands and Canary Islands. Its stated goal at that time was to have 45 outlets by the end of 2026 and reach 58 by 2027.
The offensive launch in France gives an idea of how far GAC aims to go in Europe. There, it has also just introduced the Aion UT and Aion V, with plans to have a lineup of 12 electric and hybrid models by 2030. Its network in France is expected to grow from around 50 dealerships planned for this year to approximately 200 by the end of the decade. The company has not yet announced whether these same 12 models will be sold in Spain.
International expansion is already having an increasingly significant impact on the group’s financial results. In the first half of 2026, GAC recorded 346,000 sales outside China, a 35.69% increase from the previous year, driven mainly by the Americas and Southeast Asia. Europe now represents another major opportunity for them, with Spain already part of this expansion effort. If they want to further expand their product range and sales network there, GAC believes it will also need to manufacture more cars on the continent.