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Chinese automaker SWM has ended its production partnership in Türkiye after the venture failed to deliver new vehicles that met Türkiye’s safety standards and type-approval requirements, according to local media.
The project brought together SWM Motors, the Chinese automotive brand under Shineray Group; Türkiye-based automotive distributor ATMO Group; and Turkish industrial group Urzema Holding, with plans to turn the northwestern province of Eskisehir into a production and export hub for the Chinese automaker.
The partnership ended, and the production facility closed after the company failed to meet GSR2 and type-approval requirements, according to information obtained by otomobilgazetesi.com.
SWM completed its application to produce vehicles in Türkiye in 2024, and the project moved to a 38,000-square-meter facility in the Eskisehir Organized Industrial Zone. The facility was initially planned to produce 9,000 vehicles over three years, with annual capacity eventually set to reach 200,000-250,000 vehicles by 2028.
The production lineup was planned to include the G01 Pro, followed by the G03F and an MPV model, while JAC’s electric E30X was also slated for production at the site. Following test production, serial production of the SWM G01 Pro began in December 2025.
With SWM out of the project, ATMO Group and Urzema Holding could bring in another Chinese brand, while the planned JAC project could shape the site’s next phase, the report suggested.
GSR2, the EU’s updated General Safety Regulation, requires new vehicles to have a range of advanced safety and driver-assistance systems, including intelligent speed assistance, reversing detection, driver drowsiness warnings, emergency braking and lane-keeping systems. The rules have applied to all new vehicles in the EU since July 2024.
SWM is an Italian-origin automotive brand acquired by China’s Shineray Group in 2014. It entered the Turkish market at the end of 2023, with ATMO Group serving as its Türkiye distributor. The company initially sold models including the G01, G01F and G03F in Türkiye, later expanding its lineup with the G05 SUV.
SWM’s withdrawal follows another major Chinese automaker's decision to put its Türkiye manufacturing plans on hold earlier this year. BYD suspended progress on its planned $1 billion electric vehicle plant in Manisa, which was initially announced with an annual production capacity of 150,000 vehicles.
The company has instead prioritized its first European passenger-car plant in Szeged, Hungary, while also looking for a second manufacturing location in Europe.
Türkiye’s Industry and Technology Ministry said in June that the BYD investment agreement and the company’s obligations remained valid, while its access to incentives had been suspended in early 2026 after progress on the project stalled.
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