Still relatively unknown to French motorists, GAC is laying out bold ambitions. In an interview with Autocar, Ma Haiyang, head of GAC’s European operations, details a strategy that blends local production, hybrid and electric powertrains, and a rapidly expanding dealer network.
GAC Aims to Sell 210,000 Cars Per Year in Europe
Chinese automakers are pressing further into the European market, and GAC is determined to claim a share. Present at the Paris Auto Show 2026, the group unveiled several elements of its strategy for the coming years. Its target is ambitious: to reach 210,000 annual sales in Europe by 2030.
To achieve this, the manufacturer does not intend merely to export vehicles designed for its domestic market. Ma Haiyang, president of GAC’s European regional center, explains the plan to develop models that directly meet the expectations of European customers.
This approach includes the creation of an European research and development center in 2027. It should bring together more than a hundred engineers in due course, tasked with tuning chassis, powertrains and the various onboard systems.
GAC already operates a design center in Milan, involved in the development of the Aion UT and UT Cross. The group also intends to offer a range of technologies, with electric models, conventional hybrids and plug-in hybrids, a way to meet very different usage patterns across countries.
France at the Heart of the European Offensive
But simply offering well-suited cars won’t be enough to persuade European drivers. GAC will also have to build a network that gives customers confidence in service and parts availability. The group thus plans to open more than 180 sales and service points across Europe in 2026, focusing on five markets: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
The maker also highlights its new aftersales organization, dubbed GAC CARE+. This relies in part on a parts distribution center in Rotterdam. According to GAC, more than 95% of parts orders can be fulfilled, with an average shipping time of 36 hours.
On the warranty front, the brand offers eight years or 160,000 kilometers on its vehicles and eight years or 200,000 kilometers on traction batteries. An European roadside assistance service is also planned for three years at no cost, in partnership with Allianz Partners.
The task now is to turn these announcements into real sales results. With its industrial ambitions and its developing network, GAC clearly intends to settle in for the long term in Europe. But faced with established brands, winning over French car buyers is only just beginning.
