Great Wall Motor submitted the documents required for the European Commission’s investigation into subsidies for China-made electric vehicles imports on Jin SeoOct. 11, making it the first among its peers to do so, president Mu Feng said on Monday on the Chinese Twitter-like social media platform Weibo. In another post, Mu added that the manufacturer is accelerating its decision on a location for its first vehicle assembly plant in Europe, calling for “a fair and open trade environment” with pledges to promote collaboration and follow the rules of the respective markets. The automaker has been selling imported EVs in Germany since late last year, and is considering setting up its first regional plant in Germany, Hungary, or Czechia, Meng Xiangjun, president of its European operations told Automotive News on May 30. Other Chinese automakers, including BYD, SAIC Motor, and NIO, have also been asked to respond by the EU, while BMW and Tesla are among the non-Chinese brands involved in the investigation, formally initiated by Brussels on Oct. 4. [Great Wall Motor president’s Weibo post, in Chinese]
