Chery Automobile Plans UK R&D Center and Nissan Plant Deal

Chery Automobile plans to establish a research and development center at the UTAC Millbrook vehicle testing facility in Bedfordshire, England, by late autumn 2026. The center will focus on localizing vehicle chassis, steering, ride and handling, and driver-assistance systems for British roads, with future goals to integrate artificial intelligence and autonomous driving.

In a separate move to expand its domestic footprint, Chery International UK and Nissan signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to explore contract manufacturing of Chery passenger vehicles. If realized, production would begin at Nissan's Sunderland plant in fiscal 2027, utilizing Production Line One after Nissan consolidates its Qashqai, Juke, and Leaf models.

These expansions occur as Chinese-owned automotive brands now represent approximately 15% of new car registrations in the UK. Gary Lane, CEO of Chery International UK, stated that the company intends to use UK customer feedback to drive product development, while UTAC Vice President Kirsty Andrew characterized the R&D center as part of a long-term engineering collaboration.