Geely and Ford are discussing a possible partnership, Reuters reports, citing sources. This could see Geely using Ford factory space in Europe (likely the one in Valencia, Spain) to make vehicles for the region, as well as both companies sharing technologies, particularly in automated driving.
The two carmakers have reportedly been in talks for months and met in Michigan last week. Ford reportedly sent a delegation to China this week to deepen discussions. While Geely declined to comment, Ford told Reuters that “we have discussions with lots of companies all the time on a variety of topics. Sometimes they materialise, sometimes they don’t.”
Ford CEO Jim Farley has been vocal about the need for the company to catch up with China, saying in an interview at the Aspen Ideas Festival last year that China’s EV and connected-vehicle prowess was “the most humbling thing I have ever seen.”
When asked if president Trump would nix a joint-venture between Ford and a Chinese carmaker, he said: “I don’t think so. I think as long as it has the right guardrails and we think about it the right way, no, I’ve found openness throughout the government to do this, because I think they know it’s required.”
Farley has also been outspoken about the need for partnerships and Ford recently forged an EV production deal in Europe with Renault. Geely has also partnered with Renault in South Korea and Brazil to produce and sell cars built on Geely technology using Renault’s plants and sales network.
Obviously, all this is due to the European Union’s tariffs of up to 37.6% on imported Chinese EVs. Leapmotor will be building cars in Spain while Magna will be building Xpeng and GAC EVs in Graz, Austria.
For the US, however, Reuters writes that a tie-up with Geely for vehicles or technology earmarked for the country could face scrutiny from American lawmakers, who previously slammed Ford’s decision to license EV battery technologies from CATL for a plant in Michigan.
Still, Trump last month said he would welcome a Chinese carmaker that wants to build cars in the US if it brought investment and jobs, and the government recently pushed out Elizabeth Cannon, a Commerce Department official whose office led the effort to bar Chinese cars and technologies from the US.
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“I don’t think so. I think as long as it has the right guardrails and we think about it the right way, no, I’ve found openness throughout the government to do this, because I think they know it’s required.”
Farkley, what you think doesn’t matter, what your trumpy king said matters.