To build the best ute, you need the best facility
Great Wall Motors (GWM) have revealed their new $900 million state-of-the-art production facility located in Chongqing, Southwest China with the first production vehicles now rolling off the production line just 14 months after breaking ground. Inside the state-of-the-art 780,000 square meter facility you'll find a test track, vehicle compound, stamping plant, assembly plant, interior, exterior and seat sub-assembly plants along with a fully automated welding plant including 98 sets of Japanese FANUC robots. Based on the all new P71 platform the new Great Wall Ute has been designed from the ground up utilizing global R&D and benchmarking the industry's best manufacturing processes in order to make a Ute capable of competing with the worlds best on the global stage. The plant will produce up to 160,000 GWM Utes and Haval SUVs.
Quality is built in
GWM have adopted a completely different approach to vehicle production with their new ute and have adopted a "Perfection before production" approach. This translates into:
- Smart manufacturing processes that utilise Advanced Planning Scheduling (APS) and a new Manufacturing Execution System (MES)
- Every vehicle is tested against design specifications during its production
- The advanced paint shop uses the latest robotic spray technology to ensure the highest quality application is achieved every time.
- Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) to deliver up to 70% of material to the production line.
In China, the name "Pao" translates into "Cannon" however the model name has yet to be determined for export markets.
"We are excited to see the all new Ute rolling off the production line, it's modern design, advanced technology and focus on safety gives an indication of what lays ahead for Australia and New Zealand" said Edward Mason-Jefferies, GWM's PR Manager. In China, the new GWM Pao features a long list of advanced safety technology including 360-degree cameras, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist and Adaptive Cruise Control. It employs a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission with four driving modes: Auto, Economy, Sport and 4 Low combined with an electric/auto park brake.
About Great Wall Motor
The GWM Group – is China's largest SUV and pickup truck manufacturer with more than one million vehicles sold globally under 4 brands: Great Wall, HAVAL, Wey and Ora. With six global R&D centres, the GWM Group is committed to advanced cost-competitive technologies for all sustainable energy including Fuel Cell, EV and PHEV worldwide. Great Wall is the No.1 selling Ute brand in China for 21 consecutive years.