Chery is expanding its development center in Raunheim near Frankfurt. This was announced by the Chinese vehicle manufacturer in the run-up to the market launch of its two models Omoda 5 and Jaecoo 7.
The development team in Raunheim is to play an even stronger role in design and engineering within the Chery Group in the future.
Chery Automobile
The Chinese vehicle manufacturer Chery has announced the expansion of its development center in Raunheim near Frankfurt am Main (Germany). The expansion underlines Chery's "commitment to its European market presence and upcoming innovations in the field of electromobility", according to the company from the Chinese province of Anhui. The development center in Raunheim, which opened in 2018, has developed into one of the most important R&D and design locations within the Group's global development and design network over the past five years.
The expansion is intended to increase the focus on Chery's European activities. "We are planning to double the number of employees over the next 12 months," explains Jochen Tüting, Managing Director of Chery Europe GmbH. "In parallel with the launch of our Omoda and Jaecoo brands in nine main European markets and other smaller ones, we want to increase our R&D workforce to up to 120 employees by the end of 2024," says Tüting.
New Products and Country-Specific Solutions
At the site not far from Frankfurt Airport, Chery covers development activities for both new products and purely country-specific solutions. This includes design development, simulation and testing as well as hardware and mechanical product design. The development center on the Main also takes on project management tasks for various business units within the Chery Group. "New things are also created here that won't find their way to Europe," explains Tüting, citing, for example, the Advanced Design Studio, which provides creative input for almost all of the Group's global brands.
The planned expansions of the car company in Raunheim, which plans to launch a total of eight new models in Europe over the next 24 months, include extended test procedures. The technical integration and adaptation for vehicles coming onto the market in Europe will be carried out digitally in real time with the Raunheim R&D Center as the local development interface. Secondly, increased research and development capacities to accelerate design and development activities. In addition, Chery plans to further expand its collaboration with regional suppliers and development partnerships with local stakeholders.
Launch in Europe: Omoda 5 and Jaecoo 7
The compact crossover SUV Omoda 5 is to be successively launched on the most important European markets from the start of 2024, before the Jaecoo 7 off-road SUV on the same platform follows shortly afterwards. Chery has scheduled the German launch of the Omoda 5 with a 1.6-liter combustion engine and as a BEV for summer 2024. The expansion of the development center near the river Main is therefore an important milestone for Chery as a volume manufacturer.