Geely bets on artificial intelligence for global expansion

Artificial intelligence, 5G, interaction between Chinese and European R&D hubs to rapidly customise each model to the standards of each market, and redefinition of development and production processes are the factors underpinning the Geely group's new strategy. A plan that aims to go from sales of three million units last year to six and a half million in 2030, a third of which outside China. In particular, in Europe where, in the meantime, brands with Chinese passport are landing alongside those made in Europe, such as Lotus and Volvo. In Italia, first came Geely with its EX5 electric suv and Starray EM-i plug-in hybrid, to be joined in the autumn by the compact E2 battery-powered saloon, and then Zeekr, which is challenging the European premium brands with full electric models: the compact X suv and the larger 7X, the sporty 7GT and the shooting brake 001.

But this is only the beginning, as we ascertained when we visited the Huangzhou area, where the group's headquarters are located, the world's largest safety centre and the 8 square kilometre factory from which Zeekr and Polestar come out, where a super-supervisor manages almost total automation, leaving quality control to human supervision in the end. In detail, the strategy rests on scalable intelligent architectures, on digitisation that through generative artificial intelligence brings intuitive and adaptive systems on board, on digital platforms for the complete management of every car function combining Nvdia SuperChip, Thor U and Qualcomm SnapDragon 8797 technologies, on the introduction first of semi-solid and then solid state batteries and, finally, on new hybrid power trains. Important, especially in Europe, during the transition to the all-electric era. First of all, the engine with the Em Ai Super Hybrid 2.0 platform, which through its Xingrui AI Cloud Power 2.0 management has recorded Guinness World Record-certified mileages of up to 45 km/litre. Then, those of Horse Powertrain the joint venture with Renault especially with the system to transform native electric cars into hybrids that could generate an Ice version of the Geely E2, the electrified ones powered by Methanol and the 900 V architecture, valid for both full-electric and plug-in hybrids.

Within this framework, artificial intelligence plays a central role for all brands in raising the bar in terms of efficiency, safety, comfort, human-machine interaction and even Level 4 autonomous driving. A system boasting lightning-fast computing power and sensing hardware unveiled at the Beijing show by the Eva Cab concept. The first electric robotaxi made in China that will be produced from 2027, which is basically a showcase for Geely's new technologies.

In all this, strangely, there is currently a lack of plant announcements in Europe. However, reliable rumours suggest negotiations with Ford for the Spanish plant in Valencia.