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Underutilised Ford factories in Europe could be used for Geely production in the first step of a relationship that could see Ford adopt Geely EV expertise.
A partnership between Ford and Geely could see the US car giant's European production lines used to build Chinese vehicles.
A report by Reuters suggests that the soft start to an ongoing partnership could see Ford eventually turn to Geely for expertise in EVs and autonomous vehicles, as the American automaker looks to accelerate development in those areas.
Insiders close to the discussions suggest that Ford’s factory in Valencia, Spain, could begin series production of Geely models.
The factory currently builds the Kuga medium SUV – last sold in Australia as the Escape – and has an annual production capacity of up to 450,000 units.
The move to European production could see Geely avoid the European Union’s 35 per cent levy on imported Chinese EVs, and 10 per cent tax on imported vehicles, provided European-sourced content meets minimum requirements.
The production agreement could be the first step in a wider partnership.
Reuters’ sources suggest that discussions are still underway that would give Ford access to Geely’s automated driving technology, and could lead to future plans for Ford to use EV systems developed by Geely.
Ford already operates a 50/50 joint venture partnership with Changan in China, for the production of Ford vehicles for the Chinese market.
The latest report arrives just days after suggestions that Ford was working with Chinese brand Xiaomi on plans that could have opened the door to the production of Xiaomi EVs in the USA, although the smartphone maker denied those claims.
While the US government has protections in place to limit the reach of Chinese communications technology sold in the USA, Farley is confident that the right commercial agreement and protections could see the partnership get approval for eventual US production of Chinese-based cars.
“I’ve found openness throughout the government to do this, because I think they know it’s required," Farley said in an interview at the Aspen Idea Festival in 2025.
Kez Casey migrated from behind spare parts counters to writing about cars over ten years ago. Raised by a family of automotive workers, Kez grew up in workshops and panel shops before making the switch to reviews and road tests for The Motor Report, Drive and CarAdvice.
