Ford and Geely establish joint venture in Spain to build both brands

You know the saying “if you can’t beat them, join them”, and that applies to automakers nowadays as the Chinese have upset the order of traditional automakers. If a brand wanted to be in China, they had to establish a joint venture with a local automaker there. But now, it seems to be the other way around.

Notable examples include how Nissan is now using products from its joint venture with Dongfeng to produce global models such as the Primera and Frontier Pro, and now, Ford and Geely have established a manufacturing joint venture at Ford’s plant in Valencia, Spain, to build both Ford and Geely vehicles.

It will be 66% owned by Ford, and 34% owned by Geely. At the moment, the joint venture will begin operations within the first half of 2027, with the first new Geely vehicles scheduled to come off the production line in 2028.

These will be three Fords, which include the Kuga (which continues to be built there), a new member of the Bronco family, and an all-new “multi-energy” crossover, and two electric Geely models. According to Reuters, the first Geely model to be built there is the EX5, and that Ford’s all-new crossover model will be a jointly developed model between the two.

This partnership benefits both brands, as this is part of Geely Auto’s European expansion, and Ford will be able to utilize Geely’s know-how in building electrified vehicles, apart from supporting the local economy.

^{Photos from Ford, Geely, Julian Panlilio}