Haval opens an engine factory at its Tula manufacturing site

Haval has opened a 1.5- and 2-litre engine factory in Tula, extending local production alongside its vehicle plant, which assembled nearly 99,000 units in 2023.

Engine production begins in Uzlovaya

Great Wall Motor has commissioned an engine factory at the Uzlovaya industrial park in the Tula region of Russia. The plant produces 1.5-litre and 2-litre internal-combustion engines. Its production complex occupies more than 10,000 square metres within the existing Haval automobile manufacturing site.

The engine facility opened on 6 March 2024. An earlier plan envisaged its launch in 2022 and engine production and assembly for more than 90% of Haval vehicles in Russia. The latter percentage is an announced coverage objective, rather than a measured output share from the newly commissioned factory.

Compact engine connected to a dynamometer — Automotive engine testing

Vehicle manufacturing and component localisation

The Russian Haval automobile plant began operating in June 2019, with initial investment exceeding $500 million. The site produces the F7 and F7x crossovers, Dargo, Jolion and the H9 frame SUV. Nearly 99,000 vehicles left its assembly lines in 2023, while its planned annual production capacity is 150,000 cars.

Russia’s Industry and Trade Ministry signed a special investment contract with Haval Motor Manufacturing Rus in September 2020. The manufacturer committed to localising key components, including engines, gearboxes, electronic units and control systems. The Ministry put investment under the contract at RUB 42.4 billion in the August 2022 production update. Following Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov’s visit, the plant announced a goal of localising more than 80% of production within the next six years. Its technology-localisation commitments under the contract exceeded 7,000 points, according to the Ministry.

Earlier production-site development

The automobile complex contains stamping, welding, painting, assembly and component-production workshops. During 2021 modernisation, the factory installed new equipment and updated software for welding, painting and vehicle-function checks. By August 2022, almost 2,000 jobs had been created at the site; the full-cycle investment project envisaged 4,000 positions.

The first-stage vehicle plant had capacity for 80,000 cars a year in that earlier update. That figure describes the initial production stage, while the 150,000-car figure is planned capacity. Neither should replace the separately reported 2023 actual output. A research and development centre also formed part of the manufacturer’s announced plans.

HAVAL company identity

Haval sales and the wider manufacturing site

Haval sold 111,720 vehicles in Russia during 2023, a 2.3-fold increase, according to Autostat. Its market share reached 10.55%, against 5.45% in 2022. The Jolion crossover accounted for 55,550 sales. These are vehicle sales figures, distinct from the number assembled at the Tula factory.

Great Wall Motor, headquartered in China, operates the Russian site through its manufacturing subsidiary. Engine production and full-cycle automobile assembly are separate operations at the same location.