According to foreign media reports, on July 2, Chinese automaker Geely Automobile Group announced that it will launch its Geely brand of cars in the UK, and the first model to be launched in the UK will be the Geely EX5 electric SUV. It is reported that this model is known as the “Geely Galaxy E5” in China and has been launched in the Chinese market in May 2024.
EX5； Image source: Geely
Geely Automobile Group said that the Geely EX5 electric SUV is mainly aimed at fleet buyers, and the first vehicles are expected to be delivered to British consumers in the fourth quarter of this year. Currently, Geely Automobile Group is evaluating whether it needs to localize the model in the UK market to meet the specific needs and preferences of local consumers. According to Autocar, Geely Automobile Group is using the engineering team of its high-end brand Lotus sports car to promote the research and development of the Geely EX5 electric SUV.
Geely Automobile Group said in a statement that the Geely EX5 electric SUV is currently in the “in-depth research and development stage” to meet the needs of consumers in the British market and will be the first product in a series of “high-quality affordable models” launched by the Geely brand for the British market.
This means that Geely Automobile has joined a group of Chinese brands that have begun sales in the UK, including BYD, Chery’s brands Omoda and Jaecoo, as well as Xpeng Motors. However, Geely Automobile Group’s Volvo Cars, Lotus Sports Cars and Polestar brands are already selling cars in the UK. It is worth noting that the UK is the largest in EuropeElectric vehiclemarket, and unlike the European Union, the UK has not imposed tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles.
It is worth mentioning that Geely Automobile Group has announced plans to launch the Geely EX5 electric SUV in several markets outside of China, including Australia, Brazil and Poland. Last year, Geely Automobile Group’s global sales increased by more than 32% year-on-year to 2,176,567 units; Among them, the global sales of its brand Geely Galaxy reached 494,440 units, a year-on-year increase of about 80%.
In addition, Chinese automaker Changan Automobile plans to build a factory in Europe to support its future sales in the European market. On July 2, Nic Thomas, head of marketing, sales and service at Changan Automobile’s Europe, told Reuters that it is currently evaluating potential plant locations. At the same time, Nic Thomas said that Changan Automobile will start selling the Deep Blue S07 in the UK this year, and deliveries are expected to begin in September this year.