Go for free to attract MG and Byd factories

The electric car is a pressure cooker. One that has a lot of chickpeas and that suggests how those who were well together now that the temperature has risen jump from one side to another.

Chickpeas are, of course, the countries of the European Union. In their day they formed ranks to lift tariffs against electric cars (first in the form of compensatory rights). Most seemed to show themselves in favor and only Germany proposed an alternative that did not go through their cars. Both Chinese and German manufacturers produced in China.

Little by little, the pot was taking heat and the pressure increased. Inside, those chickpeas that seemed to go to one began to be removed already Show your discomfort. More and more countries began to soften their positions with tariff From abstention to negative.

But the fire had already started and the stew had started. There was no way to stop it. The chickpeas jumped through the air and each one took the positions that most interested. Spain, in a 180º degree turn, He went from supporting tariffs to refrain in vote. An aesthetic exercise, the latter, because before on a visit to China, the president of the Government Pedro Sánchez, there was already Praise Chinese electric cars and had been receptive to the Asian country.

Now, with a new byd factory on the table, the posture change gains more importance than ever.

Europe and Spain, on different roads

The expansion of Byd is being one of the hot topics currently in the European car. Both for the factory that is yet to come and the one in motion. By order.

Europe puts difficult things …

Although Europe raised tariffs to the Chinese electric car, it kept the door open to its investments and it is understood that Do not impose new levies To vehicles moved with combustion engines (including plug -in hybrids) it was a hand laid to China.

Chinese brands soon took the initiative with the soil search In Europe to make their cars … more or less. Byd confirmed a plant in Hungary and Later in Türkiyesince the country has a Commercial Agreement with the European Union that you should allow you to export cars without paying tariffs for them.

Another proposal was that of the Chery group, which has been made with the Nissan facilities in Barcelona to produce cars that, in reality, They arrive in kits from China And here they just finish riding. Both this option and that of Türkiye are in the spotlight of the European Commission that already warned that more powerful investments would be needed to get rid of the economic lock.

But, in addition, the European Commission seems willing to put the most complicated things to Chinese manufacturers. Financial Times He explains that the Byd plant in Hungary is being built with illegal subsidies of the Chinese state.

If confirmed, the economic newspaper notes that the European Commission could force the Chinese company “to sell some assets, reduce the capacity, reimburse the subsidy and potentially pay a fine for non -compliance“. What they maintain in the heart of the European Union is that the factory has been built with Chinese labor and only uses Chinese pieces, both for batteries and their cars, creating very little value.

The issue is delicate because the Hungarian government, led by Viktor Orbán, is part of the Easceptics and is one of the greatest critics of the European Union. In addition, it has been very close to Beijing, which seems essential for the company to have invested 4,000 million euros in Hungarian soil in a factory that can use 10,000 people.

And we must add that The situation of Hungary Within the European Union it is key because it allows you to access a cheaper labor but without complicating the distribution of cars in its European cast.

… And Spain goes for free

As we said, one of those chickpeas that began stirring and ended up jumping through the air looking for their own destination was Spain.

Our country played Iberian pig exports They have the Chinese market as essential to square the accounts at the end of the year. But also huge amounts of money. To start, the arrival of the Chery group to Barcelona.

Then the investments have materialized. First with the arrival of companies to Spanish key ports but, above all, with the investment of 7,000 million euros that catl It will carry out in Aragon next to Stellantis to nurture the batteries of small electric cars that the automobile group will produce in Zaragoza.

“President Sánchez’s position change with electric vehicles has been very important. It has been highly appreciated by Chinese companies and We appreciate it with 10,000 million investments in Spain“The words are from Yao Jing, Chinese ambassador to Spain before a group of journalists, collect in The world.

Those 10,000 million euros are formed by the 7,000 million euros of Catl but also for the 3,000 million euros that in investing invision and hygreen energy in the south of the country, although these last two projects still have to get ahead.

ENVISION has already committed to Invest around 3.8 billion euros In Spain in 2022. The bulk would be taken a battery factory in Navalmoral de la Mata (Cáceres) with 2.5 billion euros of investment. The rest would be distributed by Alcazar de San Juan (Ciudad Real) and Navas del Marqués (Ávila) in projects for the production of renewable energy and its storage.

Last year, after the Visit from Pedro Sánchez to Chinathe investment of another 900 million euros in investment of electrolyte with Hygreen Energy money.

But the Cordial relations between China and Spain They continue because there are still very juicy projects floating on the European continent. “We are proposing more economic projects with Spain,” he said in his contact with Yao Jing journalists.

The projects that are thought is an MG plant in Europe. The British company is owned by the Chinese Saic group, the second largest in the country after Byd will advance last year. But MG is the Chinese company that is best going in Europe with its cheap combustion cars and an MG4 Electric that is also one of the most affordable options in the autonomy/price ratio.

The brand itself has come to affirm that Spain is one of the best countries in the list of candidates, collected The Spanish. Given the low energy prices and a labor more competitive than that of France or Germany. The latter, in addition, is what You want to assert To attract the third floor that Byd has projected for Europe.

The Chinese company recognized only a few days ago that Germany was one of the favorite countries (It has even been rumored that they can Buy Volkswagen facilities) But the high productive costs can be a brake. What they are clear is that Italy has been ruled out for a very simple reason: they supported tariffs on electric cars, they collect in Motorpasion.

Are we clear who stopped supporting them to approach the Chinese government?

Indeed, Spain is playing a pragmatic approach which has earned him to ensure 10,000 million euros in investments and, as little, to be aspiring to the construction of two other plants of Chinese vehicles.

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In Xataka | Spain is the perfect entrance for Chinese cars in Europe. Byd and mg have the ideal product to dodge tariffs