Chinese car maker Chery is in early discussions with UK authorities over plans to build a new car factory here.
The company, which will launch its Omoda and Jaecoo sub-brands in the UK in the coming months, is optimistic about its performance potential in the market, to the extent that bosses say local production could quickly become viable.
Speaking to Autocar in the wake of a Financial Times story that broke the news, Chery's UK manager, Victor Zhang, confirmed that "we have started some discussions" with the government "but it's still at a very initial stage".
He added: "We need a closer discussion to see how to develop this kind of potential cooperation.