Commercial vehicle distributor Harris Maxus has moved to a new HQ in Liverpool, paving the way for new vehicle launches and continued growth in 2023.

Liverpool’s Lord Mayor with Mark Barrett, general manager, Harris Maxus and Denise Harris, CEO of the Harris Group

The brand is owned by Chinese auto giant SAIC and is the sole distributor for the Maxus diesel and electric range of vehicles in right-hand drive markets across Europe.

Part of the wider Harris Group, it’s seen significant growth in demand for its EV range of light commercial vans and is currently forecasting growth of over 200% in the UK in 2023, with sales projections across the UK and Ireland for 2022 circa 6,000 units.

The move to its new Liverpool campus will underpin this. The 52,000 sq ft premises will house 30 staff including technical, distribution and sales teams in addition to a parts depot and warehouse. A training centre for engineers taking part in the Maxus technical training academy will also be onsite.

The new HQ is quadruple the size of the previous Harris headquarters in Warrington – which was only opened in 2021 but had already been outgrown by the fast-rising firm.

Mark Barrett, general manager, explained: “The success of Harris Maxus in the UK has exceeded all expectations. So far this year, we have seen Maxus vehicle registrations grow by 52% versus 2021, with 38% of our overall sales in 2022 attributable to our zero-emission range of vehicles.”

He added: “At Harris Maxus, we are fully focused on the future, not just in terms of expansion in the UK, but also in terms of the vehicles we put on UK roads. This year, we launched the world’s first all-electric MPV – the Mifa 9. We also launched the UK’s first fully electric pickup truck, the T90EV. Over the next two years, we have plans to introduce four new zero-emission platform vehicles to the market.

“Our move to Liverpool is central to our future plans and we are committed to growing our presence in the UK, creating more employment, developing our dealership network and making a valuable economic contribution both locally and nationally.”

The highly anticipated Mifa 9 MPV and the T90EV pickup made their debut at the CV Show this year and join the existing Maxus eDeliver3 and eDeliver9 eLCVs to plug much-needed gaps in the UK and Ireland. Alongside their EV credentials, they also deliver high levels of style, quality, comfort and safety; newly published Euro NCAP ratings show the Mifa 9 has garnered a five-star safety rating.

The Harris Maxus HQ opening ceremony at Gillmoss Industrial Estate was presided over by Liverpool’s Lord Mayor, who said: “Businesses are very much the bedrock of our city; not only do they contribute to the local economy by bringing growth and employment to the area, but they also bring innovation and fresh thinking.

“The Harris Group exemplifies all these things, creating skilled jobs and driving the transition to greener motoring through its range of zero emission vehicles. It is with great pleasure that I welcome the team from Harris Maxus to Liverpool and wish them every success as the business continues to grow.”

The event was also attended by Harris Group CEO, Denise Harris whose late husband Robert ‘Pino’ Harris founded the group in 1961. She joined Cllr. Roy Gladden in unveiling a plaque to mark the event, dedicated to the memory and great legacy of Pino Harris.