Geely to Produce Premium Models at Volvo's European Plants Starting in 2028

Geely Auto's newly appointed director An Conghui revealed at the 2026 mid-year financial results briefing that premium models under the Geely Auto umbrella are expected to enter production at Volvo's European vehicle manufacturing facilities starting in 2028. This move is viewed as a critical step in accelerating Geely's global expansion and deepening internal group synergies.

According to publicly available information, An Conghui officially succeeded Li Shufu on August 17, 2026, assuming the roles of Chairman and Executive Director of Geely Auto Holding Limited. Li Shufu remains Chairman of the parent company, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group.

The new management team has clearly prioritized strengthening brand collaboration across Geely Auto's ecosystem and deepening strategic alignment with controlling shareholder Geely Holding Group.

An Conghui stated that Volvo's European vehicle plants will serve as pivotal hubs for Geely Auto's overseas localization efforts — primarily tasked with manufacturing high-end models from within the Geely ecosystem. Mass production is slated to begin in 2028. Currently, Geely Auto Holding oversees four brands: Geely, Lynk & Co, Zeekr, and Geometry. Among them, Geometry targets the mid-luxury segment and appeals to younger consumers, while Zeekr is explicitly positioned in the premium BEV and PHEV segments.

Industry analysts widely believe the "premium models" referenced by An Conghui most likely include the Geely Galaxy L6, L7, and Zeekr 8X — three plug-in hybrid crossover models currently in product planning or pre-R&D phases. Though not yet officially launched, all three have appeared repeatedly in domestic and international patent filings and supply-chain rumors.

Volvo currently operates plants in Torslanda, Sweden, and Ghent, Belgium, and is building its third, battery-electric-dedicated factory in Slovakia — scheduled to commence mass production in early 2027. This gives Geely Auto at least three potential European production nodes to choose from. Separately, earlier disclosures indicate Geely has partnered with Renault to jointly produce two Geely-branded models at Renault's Spanish plant beginning in 2028.

Data shows that in the first half of 2026, Geely Holding Group ranked seventh globally in automaker sales volume, capturing a 4.6% market share. Domestically, the Geely EX2 (Galaxy E2) remains the top-selling model, delivering 226,465 units from January to July — down 9.1% year-on-year.