President hails return of vehicle production to former Nissan plant with Ebro S700

Catalan president Salvador Illa has welcomed the return of vehicle manufacturing to the former Nissan factory in Barcelona's Zona Franca, three years on from what he described as "the most important industrial closure that has ever occurred in Catalonia." 

Illa made the comments on Saturday evening at a launch ceremony celebrating the start of production of the new Ebro S700 SUV from EV Motors. 

The event was attended by the leadership of Chery Automobile, the Chinese company which reached a manufacturing deal with EV Motors in April. 

Chery president, Tongyue Yin, reaffirmed their commitment to the reindustrialization of the former Nissan site, saying production at the plant in Barcelona will allow vehicles to be exported throughout Europe and boost the Catalan and Spanish economy. 

Manufacturing returns after three years  

Three years since the manufacture of the last Nissan vehicle, Ebro has taken over and reactivated cat manufacturing at the Zona Franca plant.  

At a packed event at Ebro Factory, the company's leaders and their Chinese partners celebrated the start of production of the S700 SUV, the first model to be manufactured at the plant. It will be followed by the S800.  

The event was attended Catalan president Salvador Illa, who said that after "experiencing the most important industrial closure that has ever occurred in Catalonia," they were now making progress along the roadmap that was established together with trade unions. 

"These were uncertain and not easy times," acknowledged the president, who said that many "well-trained” workers saw their professional lives "enter an unknown stage." 

The return of manufacturing to the plant, Illa said showed that "with tenacity, overcoming obstacles and doing things well, milestones like these are reached." 

Illa took the opportunity to send a political message to the Chinese authorities present at the event, calling for "collaboration" between countries and continents, instead of opting for "confrontation." 

For his part, Spain's Minister of Industry, Jordi Hereu, highlighted the "rebirth" of Barcelona's historic Ebro brand, which disappeared in 1987. Milestones like this "invite us to take another step in the reindustrialization and modernization of Spain's industrial fabric," he said.  

The president of Chery Automobile, Tongyue Yin, reaffirmed their commitment to the reindustrialization of the factory in Barcelona's Zona Franca. 

"We are very proud to be able to contribute to the economic development of Spain," he said in his speech. Chery will be "a driving force," in ensuring that a "historic brand" like Ebro can once again be "embraced by the Spanish market." The company aims to "create thousands of jobs with Ebro," he added.   

Jobs for former Nissan workers 

By mid-2025, the company expects to have three shifts in operation and 350 people working. In the last quarter of next year, when production of the Omoda 5 begins, it will expand the workforce to 850 employees. The company will fulfill its promise to employ 1,250 former Nissan workers by 2026. 

EV Motors and Chery are also studying the establishment of a joint R&D center in Barcelona. 

Illa meets top Chinese official 

After the event to mark the start of production, Illa met with Zhao Leji, at Palau de Pedralbes, the first time a chairman of China's National People's Congress has officially visited Catalonia. 

Zhao is the third-ranking member of the Chinese Communist Party's Politburo Standing Committee and one of Chinese president Xi Jinping's closest allies. 

Five Catalan ministers and Spain's industry ministers also attended the meeting with the Chinese delegation. 

Zhao now travels to Madrid, where he will meet Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez and King Felipe VI.