SAIC Motor Selects Ferrol for Major Spanish EV Plant
SAIC Motor plans to build an electric vehicle plant in Ferrol, Spain, creating 1,000 jobs despite security concerns over nearby naval bases.
Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer SAIC Motor has selected a port town outside Ferrol, Spain, as the site for a major car production plant. The project is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs in a region currently suffering from industrial decay and historically tied to naval defense.
While the investment has broad political support and is welcomed by local residents, it has raised significant security alarms. Spanish security services and the defense ministry expressed concerns that the plant could facilitate espionage against nearby naval bases that house American-made missile systems. Former diplomats and officials have also questioned Spain's increasing reliance on Chinese supply chains and technology, pointing to a high trade imbalance and past controversies involving Huawei.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is expected to sign off on the deal before the November 29 election. The move comes as Spain attempts to balance economic growth with its strategic obligations to the United States and the European Union.
