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Former Troller Factory in Horizonte, Ceará, Reopened With Investment of R$ 400 Million, Production of the Nationalized Chevrolet Spark Electric, Target of Up to 10,000 Cars Per Year, and Return of Jobs to the Region
The former Troller factory in Horizonte, Ceará, has come back to life after years of uncertainty and closed gates. The industrial complex, which was once a symbol of national off-road vehicles, is now entering a new phase focused on electric cars, heavy investment, and the promise of a new cycle for the automotive industry in the Northeast.
In this new stage, the former Troller factory is being operated by a group linked to COMEXport, which takes over the plant, brings the electric Chevrolet Spark for local production, and puts Ceará on the map of electric mobility, with plans to grow rapidly and make the region a national reference in electrified vehicles.
Former Troller Factory Gains New Mission With Electric Cars
After Ford’s departure from Brazil, the former Troller factory went silent, with empty warehouses and an entire city trying to reorganize without its main source of industrial employment. This scenario began to change when COMEXport entrepreneurs decided to take over the complex and redesign the future of the plant.
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Now, the former Troller factory has a new mission: to cease being merely a memory of a jeep brand and become a production base for electric cars, aligning with global trends in the automotive sector and the demands for lower emissions and new mobility models.
Chevrolet Spark Electric Will Be the First Nationalized
The initial push for this repositioning comes with the Chevrolet Spark Electric, which will be assembled at the former Troller factory in Horizonte. The compact, which is currently produced outside Brazil, is undergoing a process of progressive nationalization.
The idea is not to limit itself to assembling imported kits. The plan is to adapt the Chevrolet Spark Electric to Brazilian reality, adjusting suspension, trim, and other components to our market’s terrain, climate, and usage, while gradually incorporating local suppliers into the production chain of the former Troller factory.
Production of Up to 10,000 Cars Per Year in a First Cycle
With the reopening, the goal is for the former Troller factory to reach a production capacity of up to 10,000 cars per year in a first cycle of recovery. The operation begins with smaller volumes but already aims for expansion according to demand and the introduction of new models.
The investment of R$ 400 million enables the plant’s recovery, the adaptation of assembly lines, and the necessary infrastructure to work with electric cars, a type of product that requires processes, testing, and care different from traditional combustion vehicles.
Jobs in the Interior Begin to Grow Again With the Reopening
For the Horizonte region, the impact is immediate. The reopening of the former Troller factory returns direct and indirect jobs to the interior of Ceará, reabsorbing part of the workforce that previously worked in the former Troller operation and who lived with uncertainty for years.
In addition to the jobs within the plant, workshops, transport companies, parts suppliers, food services, and local businesses are once again active, recreating an economic ecosystem that had been dismantled with the previous closure.
Former Troller Factory Becomes a Hub for Technology and Nationalization
The vision of the group that took over the plant goes beyond simply “turning on the line” and assembling ready-made cars. The former Troller factory is seen as a hub under construction for the nationalization of components, process engineering development, and training of regional suppliers.
With each stage, the intention is to replace imports with parts produced in Brazil, increase the national content of vehicles, and consolidate a stronger industrial base in the Northeast, reducing dependence on the traditional hubs in the South and Southeast.
Infrastructure Ready to Grow Beyond the First Model
The Troller’s history has shown that the plant has the structure to support significant production and serve the entire national territory. With the current reconfiguration, the former Troller factory is undergoing modernization of layout, ergonomics, and industrial flows, already planning to accommodate more models in the future.
The arrival of the Chevrolet Spark Electric is just the beginning. The plant is designed to accommodate other electrified vehicles, allowing for an expanded portfolio as the market matures and the charging infrastructure expands across the country.
Interior of Ceará Joins the Route of Electric Mobility
The resumption of the former Troller factory also has significant symbolic weight. The interior of Ceará, which has already shown industrial capacity with the production of jeeps, is now repositioning itself as part of the new chain of electric mobility in Brazil.
This means training specialized labor, attracting new investments, and technological development in a region outside the traditional automotive industry axis, creating opportunities that go far beyond assembly itself.
Resumption Blends Memory, Reconstruction, and Future
For many workers, returning to the former Troller factory is like revisiting a place full of stories, now with a different purpose. The factory floor that once assembled off-roads is back in operation with electric compacts and potentially new models on the horizon.
It’s a combination of nostalgia with renewal, where the memory of Troller shares space with the expectation of a more modern, technological industrial future connected to global trends of decarbonization and electrification.
A New Chapter for the Automotive Industry in the Northeast
The reopening of the former Troller factory shows that closed factories do not have to be the end of the line. With capital, strategy, and long-term vision, they can be repurposed, updated, and reintegrated into new production chains.
In the case of Horizonte, the movement points to a new chapter for the automotive industry in the Northeast, with the former Troller factory now serving as a starting point for a phase in which electric cars, jobs in the interior, and technology nationalization go hand in hand.
In your opinion, is the reopening of the former Troller factory focusing on electric cars a watershed moment for the Northeast, or is it still too little given the region’s industrial potential?
Governo Lula priorizando o Nordeste.
Valeu Presidente
Governo Lula dando prioridade na industrialização do Nordeste.
Valeu Presidente.
Vamos ver qual vai ser a desculpa de que os preços vão ser elevados se o carro vai ser nacionalizado!