Overview
- Chery confirmed on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, that it will open a UK R&D Centre of Excellence at the UTAC Millbrook proving ground in Bedfordshire with operations due to start in late autumn 2026.
- The centre’s initial work will focus on chassis dynamics, steering feel and advanced driver‑assistance systems (ADAS) tuned for UK conditions such as roundabouts, narrow lanes and varied surfaces, using Millbrook’s more than 70 km of test tracks and specialist laboratories.
- Chery says the Millbrook facility will join its global R&D network and it intends to recruit UK engineers for highly skilled roles, with longer‑term research likely to expand into autonomous driving and artificial intelligence.
- The investment builds on an existing technical relationship with UTAC, including a 2024 homologation joint venture, and follows a non‑binding memorandum with Nissan to explore assembly at Sunderland without any confirmed manufacturing decision.
- Chery’s rapid UK sales and wider export growth, including a company‑reported 202,533 vehicles exported in July, underpin the decision and reflect the company’s strategy to localise product development for right‑hand‑drive markets.