Geely Seeks Tieups with Merces-Benz, Ford to Double Europe Footprint by 2027
By Reuters | 26 Mar, 2026

China's number two carmaker aims to join the global top five by 2030 with total sales of over 6.5 million cars, of which a third will be overseas.

China’s Geely Auto Group said on Thursday its European technology hub plans to double the number of vehicle projects it manages by next year, as the carmaker intensifies efforts to compete in the region.

Since last year, the group has been streamlining brands and engineering operations to cut costs as fierce price competition erodes margins in China’s EV market.

Geely Auto Group said the unit will provide engineering support across the Zeekr, Lynk & Co, and Geely brands, to shrink the gap between China and overseas product launches to less than six months.

Geely Auto has maintained a European R&D presence since 2013, with its Gothenburg centre operating under successive banners including China Euro Vehicle Technology (CEVT) and Zeekr Technology Europe, alongside a smaller Frankfurt unit that will all now be under the Geely Tech Europe name.

 Its parent Geely Holding Group said in January it plans by 2030 to rank among the world's top five automakers and have global sales of over 6.5 million cars, with one-third of that being abroad, where Europe is a key part

Reuters and others have previously reported that Geely has held talks with automakers including Mercedes-Benz and Ford on potential manufacturing and technology partnerships.

Geely Auto is a sister brand to Sweden’s Volvo Cars an dPolestar, which have announced cost cuts and deeper integration within the wider Geely group.

(Reporting by Marie MannesEditing by Bernadette Baum)