Despite being one of the best-known Chinese manufacturers in the Old Continent, undoubtedly because it is among the 10 largest in China and is responsible for producing Minis in this Asian country (which are then exported to Europe), in collaboration with BMW’s Great Wall Motors (GWM) became even better known when it introduced the Ora Punk Cat in 2021 (the name was later changed to Ora 03), which the Germans accused of being a blatant copy of the VW Beetle. But not even the controversy and the appeal to the courts prevented GWM from continuing with the production of the Ora, a model that it not only patented in Europe but also sells among us.
The Chinese manage to patent a copy of the Beetle in Europe
After a few years of presence in the European market, with headquarters located in Munich, Germany, The Chinese construction company announced that it will back down, without pomp or circumstance, renouncing the European invasion. The decision followed decrease in salesand the Chinese manufacturer sold only 6,300 units on European soil during the 12 months of 2023. According to the manufacturer, of the 316,000 vehicles sold in export markets in 2023, of which Europeans consumed only 1.98%, GWM decided reduce its sales forecasts outside of China, with the million units planned for 2025 will be delayed by five yearsby 2030.
The German press indicates that the closure of the brand’s facilities in Munich is scheduled for the end of August and will result in dismissal of around 100 workers. GWM guarantees that it intends to maintain a presence in some of the remaining European markets, in addition to Germany. However, the expansion planned for 11 other countries, including Portugal, was cancelled.
Source: Observadora
