China’s XEV brand has announced plans to produce in Morocco its electric cars destined for the Italian market.
Italian news outlet Nordeste Economia reported on Monday that the Chinese company is planning to construct a plant for the production of its electric cars for the Italian market.
The plant will be established near Tangier, a city that hosts several manufacturing factories.
In addition to its increasing strategic investments in its burgeoning automotive industry, Morocco attracted the Chinese company thanks to its proximity to Europe.
XEV aims to install its factory in the country to tackle the continued increase in transport costs, as well as the “uncertainties” brought about by the current international context, the Italian news outlet reported.
Negotiations for the project have reached “an advanced phase,” the news outlet added. Quoting Giovanna Zandarin, who is now supervising the operation, Nordeste Economia stressed that the car to be produced in Morocco was “conceived and developed in Turin.”
“But there was no possibility of industrializing production in Italy. We have identified Morocco which is implementing effective policies to attract foreign companies,” added the report.
The company is planning to begin exporting its electric cars from Morocco to Italy within the first half of 2024.
“In fact, it takes time to build the plant and train personnel suitable for the production of a completely revolutionary vehicle, the result of a new technology: it is the combination of research and development and Italian style,” Zandarin added.
The news comes as Morocco continues to attract several automotive manufacturers. Earlier this month, Morocco’s Minister of Industry Ryad Mezzour stressed the country’s assets in the sector, emphasizing that the European market is the main market for cars manufactured in the North African kingdom.
Mezzour, however, acknowledged the challenges facing the sector, including the difficulty to attract a third manufacturer due to the prevailing global situation.
Morocco is home to 10,000 car design engineers working for several brands from different countries, including France, Britain, Germany, the US, and Canada.
SOURCE: Morocco news
