The establishment of the facility at Nottingham Science Park will enable the company to collaborate with UK automotive R&D companies and help UK companies win business with Changan.
The centre, which will be opened before the end of the year, will focus on powertrain and transmission development as well as electric and hybrid vehicle technologies.
Initially, the facility will employ 25-30 employees, but staffing is expected to increase to 200 by the end of 2013. Nottingham-based transmission technology business Romax is already working with Changan and will play a key role in helping to establish the new centre.
Changan has already set up R&D engineering centres in Beijing, Harbin, Jiangxi, Shanghai and Chongqing as well as two design centres, one in Turin, Italy, which was opened in 2005, and another in Yokohama, Japan, in 2008.
Changan’s sales have been increasing by around 30 per cent annually and its production and sales between January and April 2010 ranked second in China. Last year, it had a turnover of approximately £6bn.
Poll: Should the UK’s railways be renationalised?
I think that a network inclusive of the vehicles on it would make sense. However it remains to be seen if there is any plan for it to be for the...