Chinese electric car plant to be built in Morocco

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD has revealed plans for a new factory in Tangier.

The factory will build battery and alternatively powered cars, vans and trucks in the Northern Moroccan coastal city.

Several manufacturers have recently spoken about the strength of demand for electric vehicles in China. [Photo:Thinkstock]

The choice of location is significant. Firstly, Tangier is only 30 minutes by ferry from Spain, and so exports to the European market from the city are easy.

Secondly, Tangier is already home to the Mohamed VI Tangier Tech City, a joint Chinese / Moroccan project.

Several manufacturers have recently spoken about the strength of demand for electric vehicles in China, but less has been written about growing demand in other markets.

For example, as we reported in April, by 2020, VW alone aims to sell predominantly electric or hybrid vehicles in China, through partnerships with local firms as well as ride-hailing pioneer Didi.

The move towards producing electric cars is in anticipation of the tightening of Chinese emissions standards, and an anticipated new emissions trading scheme.

Astonishingly, the first electric car (albeit in model form) was operated in 1828 by an Hungarian inventor, Anyos Jedlik. That the electric vehicle has been a possibility for so many years, and yet remains to this day a marginal transport solution, is staggering.

The hope amongst car manufacturers and environmentalists alike is that the enormous rise of electric vehicle sales in China will finally allow the technology to be proved on a wide scale, and inspire demand elsewhere.

The models already on sale in the country offer a greater mileage and performance than ever before, and even offer several advantages when compared to their conventional counterparts, such as better acceleration (and of course, much better environmental credentials).