Chinese GWM tells Haddad that it has decided to start production in Brazil with an SUV

Great Wall Motor (GWM), a Chinese brand that is arriving in Brazil, updated its local production plan for electrified cars during a meeting this Friday afternoon with the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad.

The automaker, which intends to invest R$ 10 billion in ten years in Brazil, continues with the schedule of starting in May, still in the production testing phase, activities at the factory acquired from Mercedes-Benz in Iracemápolis, in the interior of São Paulo . There was, however, an adjustment in the programming of the models that will be assembled at the unit.

Instead of a pickup truck, as previously planned, GWM will start production with a hybrid sports utility vehicle (SUV) from the Haval line. The gradual return, starting this month, of taxation on imported hybrid and electric cars led the automaker to bring forward local production of its best-selling product in the Brazilian market.

In the meeting with Haddad, GWM's CEO Americas, James Yang, was accompanied by the director of institutional affairs, Ricardo Bastos, and the company's financial director, Way Chien. Shortly after the meeting, the minister left the ministry's office in São Paulo without speaking to the press.

As reported on Monday, the Estadãothe government is preparing benefits for automakers that are investing in the production of hybrid and electric cars as a way of minimizing, while the lines do not come into operation, the impact of the return of the import tax.

According to a report by Ricardo Bastos, the new automotive regime – called Mover, with tax incentives of up to R$ 19.3 billion until 2018 for the production of safer and less polluting cars – was also on the agenda of the meeting with the Minister of Finance . The company, according to its director of institutional affairs, made itself available to collaborate with the regulation of the program and the attraction of new technologies.

“We also presented GWM’s investment plan for Brazil, with adjustments made to the product and starting national production by Haval in 2024,” said Bastos.