Story perspectives

Chery to Open UK R&D Center at Millbrook in 2026

8/20/2026

Summary

Chery Opens R&D

Chery Automobile will open a research and development centre in Bedfordshire, England.
The centre, located at UTAC Millbrook proving ground, will open in late autumn 2026 with over 70 km of test tracks.
It will initially develop chassis and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, later expanding to autonomous driving and AI.
Chery’s Omoda and Jaecoo brands hold nearly 8% of the UK market in July, up from 3% last year.

Summary

Chery Hits 200k Exports

Chery Group exported 202,533 vehicles in July, becoming the first Chinese automaker to exceed 200,000 monthly exports.
Total July sales reached 276,820 units, a 70% year-on-year increase.
From January to July 2026, Chery International delivered 1.146 million vehicles, up 71.2% YoY.
Chery entered the Fortune Global 500 at No. 383, its first appearance as a listed company.
Cumulative global sales passed 20 million vehicles in July, and the brand launched Lepas for Europe.

History

Historical Context

In 1992 Toyota opened a design and engineering centre in Brussels, building on its European R&D presence since 1987 and its earlier market entry in 1963. The move foreshadowed the localisation trend that Chinese automaker Chery is following with a 2026 autonomous-driving hub at UTAC Millbrook in Bedfordshire. Toyota now operates nine European production plants, underscoring the long-term importance of local engineering for market share.

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Chery Opens R&D

Chery Automobile will open a research and development centre in Bedfordshire, England.
The centre, located at UTAC Millbrook proving ground, will open in late autumn 2026 with over 70 km of test tracks.
It will initially develop chassis and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, later expanding to autonomous driving and AI.
Chery’s Omoda and Jaecoo brands hold nearly 8% of the UK market in July, up from 3% last year.

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