Chorley Group, Charles Hurst and City West have all been named as new franchised retail partners of the IM Group-imported GWM Ora electric vehicle (EV) brand.

The new additions’ new dealerships in Belfast, Chorley and Exeter will be joined by service centres in Blackpool, Burnley, Wigan, Bolton, Plymouth, and Truro and will leave GWM ORA with seven sales and service hubs and 13 service centres as it targets 5,000 new car registrations this year.

Its expansion plans also include the further addition 12 new franchisee appointments by the end of 2023.

Hot on the heels of the UK launch of the Funky Cat hatchback, GWM Ora’s latest franchisee additions follow the earlier appointment of Wessex Garages, Lookers and Peter Vardy in Braintree, Wolverhampton, Bristol and Glasgow.

These existing retailers are now planning further expansion with new GWM Ora service centres in Cardiff, Dundee, Edinburgh, Gloucester, Kirkcaldy, Motherwell and Perth.