Construction of a factory producing innovative Chinese cars will begin before the new year on a 2 million-square-meter plot of land - according to Today Szaman. Mermerler Automotive General Manager Murat Mermer said the Chery automobile company will begin construction of the factory in Sakarya’s Karasu district -- west of İstanbul -- before the new year, as part of a deal between Chery’s and Mermerler.

The project will see a $500 million Chery’s factory, hotel and shopping mall constructed on a 2 million-square-meter section of land. The Mermerler Group will hold a 50 percent share in the plant once it is completed. Mermer said that 3,000 people will be employed at the complex, growing to 10,000 once subsidiary industries have been developed.

The auto manufacturer plans to produce 20,000 vehicles in its first year, increasing to 100,000 vehicles per year after five years, from three different designs -- one a commercial vehicle and the other two car models named Niche and Change. Niche model (called "A3" in China) was to be produced by the Warsaw FSO.

Chery’s vehicles are produced by Chinese laborers using German technology. “These cars will be produced by Turkish and Chinese laborers,” Mermer said. “We will use German-developed technologies.” When asked about the safety of Chinese cars, Mermer said Chery was an international brand that has been proven to meet international safety standards through crash testing. “These cars are 100 percent safe. Chery has broken down any preconceived notions that consumers may have,” he said. The project will be finished in five years.

In September, Chery Automobile exported 10,564 vehicles, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 71%, and its exports for the first nine months of this year totaled 67,865 units, ranking one of the top vehicle exporters in China. In the first nine months, the automaker sold 475,287 vehicles in domestic and overseas market - according to China Knowledge.

Source: Today Szaman
Source: www.chinaknowledge.com

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