Chinese-backed classic, Borgward, to build EVs 
Borgward has acquired a new manufacturing facility in Bremen to develop electric vehicles, with international backing from Chinese car manufacturer Foton Motor Company. Aiming to create around 10,000 vehicles per year and between 50 and 100 jobs, the company’s first car will be a full-electric version of its seven-seat hybrid BX7 sports utility vehicle.

Borgward has confirmed it will once again build cars in Germany with an all-new facility in Bremen - the historic home of the former German car maker.

Announcing that discussions had already begun over potential sites for a new car factory, the reborn Chino-German car-maker says, initially, between 50-100 jobs will be created once the first phase of the future site has been complete.

In this first phase of manufacturing, Borward says it will make around 10,000 vehicles per year.

The first car to be produced at the German facility will be a pure-electric version of the its seven-seat BX7 SUV that is already on sale as a plug-in hybrid in China.

In the future, once the site is expanded, the Bremen facility will also build the BX5 plug-in hybrid.

In August Borgward shocked some industry commentators by successfully poaching MINI's former design boss, Anders Warming, to head up its design department.

The new German car factory, however small, is once again seen as a statement of intent by the fledgling car-maker to mix with the big boys.

Although, even with extra European capacity, Borgward is still unlikely to realise its ambitious sales targets of 800,000 vehicles by 2020 and 1.6 million units by 2025.

That said, the company’s ambitious strategy has international backing from huge Chinese vehicle-maker Foton Motor Company.

Based in Stuttgart, Germany – the home of Mercedes-Benz — Borgward announced its return, after 54 years, at the 2015 Geneva show and already claims to have a 1000-strong workforce.