Electrive — 2026-08-19
Automotive Industry
The new R&D Centre of Excellence will form part of Chery’s global development network, and will initially focus on adapting its vehicles to British driving conditions. Chery has said that its engineers will work on areas including vehicle chassis and driver assistance systems, with the centre to eventually expand into autonomous driving and AI.
According to the company, the Millbrook site will enable it to leverage local customer feedback – adding that the facility’s location gives it access to UTAC Millbrook’s extensive vehicle testing infrastructure. Gary Lan, CEO of Chery International UK, said: “UTAC Millbrook allows us to turn UK customer insight into product development, from ride and steering to active safety systems.”
Kirsty Andrew, VP of UTAC UK, added: “Creating a stand-alone engineering centre here means Chery Automobile can develop and validate vehicles against the particular demands of UK roads and UK drivers, with direct access to our engineering expertise and testing environments throughout that process.”
The move comes amid rapid expansion of Chery’s UK sales operations. Its Omoda and Jaecoo brands have made significant inroads into the British market, with Chinese car brands now accounting for around 15 per cent of new UK registrations during the first half of 2026 – compared to 10 per cent for the whole of 2025, according to data from SMMT.
Nor is the Millbrook centre Chery’s first UK R&D investment. In January, Chery Commercial Vehicle announced plans to establish its European HQ in Liverpool, with the site set to focus on engineering, software development, R&D and other operations. The commercial vehicle division said it intends to recruit local talent and work with UK institutions as part of its wider European expansion.
In the UK, the company has also been moving beyond sales and engineering: in June, Nissan and Chery officially confirmed they were negotiating a potential contract manufacturing agreement for Chery passenger vehicles at Nissan’s Sunderland plant, and are said to have since signed a non-binding agreement regarding this.