Great Wall Motor to build $4.6 bn electric vehicle plant in Aracruz, Brazil

Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor (GWM) announced a R$4.6 billion investment to construct a new vehicle manufacturing complex in Aracruz, Espírito Santo. The 1.74 million‑square‑metre site, located near highway ES‑257, will begin operations in 2029 and will be capable of producing up to 200,000 vehicles per year, including electric, hybrid, plug‑in hybrid and conventional models on a single production line.

The plant will house all stages of vehicle assembly—stamping, welding, painting and final assembly—and will provide space for parts suppliers. GWM expects the facility to create roughly 10,000 direct jobs and to serve the Brazilian market initially, with a later export strategy targeting Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay. The project is part of a broader R$10 billion decade‑long investment plan that follows the company’s first South‑American plant in Iracemápolis, São Paulo, opened in 2025. Diego Fernandes, GWM’s director of operations in Brazil, cited the regulatory stability of Espírito Santo as a key factor in the decision.