Geely pools European development in new unit
The new unit integrates the engineering centres in Gothenburg and Frankfurt, serving as Geely Group’s European development hub for international vehicle programmes. Geely Technology Europe will accelerate the series-production readiness of platforms, software, and digital vehicle functions for global markets.
Through this new organisation, Geely aims not only to accelerate its global expansion but also to incorporate the specific requirements of European customers into product development at an earlier stage. It will enable the company to offer more attractive models in Europe.
In practice, Geely Technology Europe will collaborate much earlier with the Geely Research Institute in China on global vehicle platforms. As a result, the time between product launches in China and international markets is expected to shrink to less than six months, according to AutomotiveIT.
Geely, majority owner of Volvo Cars, has been active in Europe for some time and has already introduced brands such as Lynk & Co and Zeekr. From May, the company will also begin offering its own Geely-branded models in Europe, starting with the battery-electric Geely E5 and the plug-in hybrid Starray EM-i. Initial markets include Spain, the Benelux countries and Germany. In preparation for the launch, Geely has now opened its first dedicated showroom in Aachen.
The development site in Gothenburg was established in 2013 as China Euro Vehicle Technology (CEVT), shortly after Geely acquired Volvo Cars. The unit was later renamed Zeekr Technology Europe and carried out key development and design work for the Zeekr 7X. Following the reorganisation, the Gothenburg site now operates under the name Geely Technology Europe AB.
The Frankfurt site, known internally as LTIC, is formally registered as Lotus Tech Innovation Centre GmbH in Raunheim. While the German unit will retain its legal name, it will operate externally under the Geely Technology Europe brand.
In the past, both European sites have contributed to the CMA and SEA platforms, which are used across various Geely brands. Geely Technology Europe will focus on advancing developments in three key areas: creating new mechanical and electrical/electronic architectures (including all types of platforms), designing global vehicle programmes with consideration for market-specific and regulatory requirements, and enhancing ‘digital user experiences’ based on software-defined vehicles. Specifically, the number of vehicle projects managed from Europe is set to double by 2027.
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