Izera, a new company from Poland that wants to build the country’s first EVs, revised its plans for production after striking a deal with Chinese automaker Geely for becoming its technology partner. According to the latest reports, an Izera-branded EV based on Geely’s SEA architecture is scheduled to enter production in late 2025, at a new factory in Poland.
As reported by Automobilwoche, the state-owned company ElectroMobility Poland (EMP) which owns the Izera brand, will build its first EV factory in the city of Jaworzno. Construction work is set to begin in 2024 with an investment of around €1.1 billion ($1.2 billion) according to information from Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI). The goal for the new plant is to be ready by the end of 2025, in order to start production of a new compact SUV by Izera. Piotr Zeremba, EMP’s CEO said that production will rely heavily on local suppliers, while the plant will employ 2,400 people.
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EMP revealed the pictured Izera-branded Z100 SUV and T100 hatchback prototypes back in 2020, with the initial goal of launching them in 2023. With the market launch being delayed for 2026, the production models will likely evolve in terms of exterior design compared to the 2020 prototypes. The yet-unnamed SUV will be followed by a compact hatchback and a wagon.
All Izera models will feature fully electric powertrains and share their Geely-sourced underpinnings. The Polish brand will utilize the Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) which is also used by an array of models from Smart, Volvo, Polestar, Zeekr, and Lotus. The partnership between Izera and Geely was first announced in November 2022.
Automotive production in Poland has been declining during the past decade, falling from 720,824 units in 2010 to 194,870 units in 2021 according to ACEA. Among the automakers that have factories in Poland are Fiat, Abarth, Lancia, and Jeep for passenger vehicles, alongside Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles for light commercial vehicles.
