Bulgaria is preparing to restart passenger car manufacturing, with plans for the country to become the exclusive EU production hub for the upcoming GWM Ora 5, an electric model from Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors. The assembly line will be located in Bahovitsa, near Lovech, a site previously used for assembling the Steed pickup and Haval H6 SUV models.
According to industry reporting from automedia.investor.bg, production of the Ora 5 is expected to begin in November 2026. The project marks a renewed push into automotive manufacturing in Bulgaria after years without large-scale car assembly operations.
The GWM Ora 5 will be offered in multiple body configurations, including hatchback, SUV, and estate variants. However, only the fully electric version will initially be assembled in Bulgaria. This decision is linked to the European Union’s updated tariff regime on vehicles produced outside the bloc.
Manufacturers are reportedly considering expanding production in a later phase to include hybrid and internal combustion engine versions, depending on market conditions and regulatory developments within the EU.