- GAC has just introduced its Aion V and Aion UT to France.
- The company will expand its lineup, offering French comsumers 12 new cars by 2030.
- To support this, GAC is actively looking at expanding their European production capacity.
China’s state-owned GAC (Guangzhou Automobile Group) has announced ambitious plans to expand its presence in Europe, which includes offering 12 new models in France before the decade is out. To do so, Cedric Lacour, GAC France Deputy CEO, revealed that the company is looking at ramping up European production capacity.
GAC is already present in Europe, with the company’s cars being available in the UK, Finland, Greece, Poland, Spain and Portugal. Currently GAC produces the Aion V and Aion UT in knock-down form at the Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria.
Read: GAC Aion’s New Sedan Borrows Level 4 Robotaxi Tech It Can’t Fully Use
Knock-down assembly means that, although manufacturing of the car’s components continues in China, the parts and assemblies are shipped before final assembly in Europe. The decision to move assembly of the V crossover-SUV and UT hatchback was seen as a way of side-stepping existing EU tariffs on Chinese vehicles, with Xpeng, another Chinese manufacturer, also employing the expertise of Magna for its G6 and G9 models.
Now, GAC is looking at adding to its European capacity. According to Lacour, those plans may include Magna Steyr or other investors completely. “We really want to establish a long-term presence here (in Europe), which automatically means we need production capacity,” said Lacour, speaking to Reuters.
12 New Models By 2030
Brad Anderson/Carscoops
GAC’s ambitions go beyond just ramping up European manufacturing. At the French launch of the all-electric Aion UT and Aion V, Lacour revealed that the two new introductions are just the tip of the iceberg. By 2030, the brand intends to have 12 electric and hybrid offerings for the French market.
Read: GAC Is Ready To Storm Europe With Its EV Army And Big Ambitions
In addition to manufacturing, GAC also has a dedicated European research and development center, situated in Milan. In the first half of this year, GAC reported that export sales recorded a 35.69 percent increase, year-on-year, with 346,000 units sold. While the growth was mainly fueled by strong performances the Americas and Southeast Asia, the brand also ranked second amongst Chinese EV brands in Greece.
French Ambitions
In a bid to ramp up its French presence, the automaker also plans to have 200 dealerships across France in the next four years, with 50 planned for this year alone. However, GAC trails some of its competitors. For context, BYD, established their French footprint back in 2024, and, according to Automobile Magazine, aims to have 250 outlets by the end of next year,
But when asked whether GAC was late to the party, Lacour disputed that. “Our goal is to take a brand from launch to scaling up in just four years.” He went on to say that the brand was entering the market “at just the right time.”
