According to Reuters, Li Chuanhai, Vice President of Geely Auto Group, and Nicolas Appelgren, CEO of Lynk & Co Europe, revealed in an interview in Frankfurt, Germany, that Geely is currently scouting locations for a factory in Europe but has not fully committed to building a production facility in the region.
When asked whether Geely plans to build a factory in Europe, Li Chuanhai stated, "It's not 100% certain at the moment." Meanwhile, Nicolas Appelgren mentioned that Lynk & Co currently sells only one hybrid model in Europe, but next month, it will launch a China-made electric vehicle in Italy, with plans to produce its next electric vehicle in Europe. However, he added that the exact timeline has not been finalized.
On September 11, Geely also opened a facility in Frankfurt, Germany, where it plans to test 13 "new energy vehicles" (including hybrids, electric vehicles, and hydrogen-powered cars) to evaluate their performance and compliance with European certification standards.
Additionally, Geely is in negotiations with Poland's new government about jointly establishing an electric vehicle factory in Poland. However, earlier this year, officials expressed doubts about Geely as an ideal partner. When asked about the negotiations with Poland, Li Chuanhai said, "We have many possibilities," but declined to provide further details.
Geely is now joining other Chinese automakers such as Chery and Great Wall Motors in planning to set up local factories in Europe, as the European Commission aims to impose stricter trade barriers on electric vehicles imported from China, including import tariffs as high as 35.3%. The European Commission is currently negotiating these tariffs with China.
In terms of sales, Geely was the second-largest automaker in China last year, with BYD taking the top spot. Geely Holding Group owns brands such as Geely Auto, Lynk & Co, and Volvo Cars, has joint ventures with Renault Group, and holds stakes in Aston Martin and Mercedes-Benz.
