Geely Automobile
Encyclopedia
Zhejiang Geely Holding Group is a holding company
and parent of Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd a private automobile manufacturer. Geely may often round out the top ten Chinese automakers.
Sales of automobiles and motorcycles in China and several South American nations comprise the majority of its business, and Geely has four brand names including its own. One of its models is named the Jingang or King Kong.
In 2010, Geely sold less than its 680,000 units/year manufacturing capacity and bought Volvo Cars
from Ford
. Total sales in 2010 allowed the company a near 0.2% market share
with 415,286 units.
transformed his company into a successful private automaker selling cheap products to inland Chinese consumers in tier-3 and 4 cities.
Geely started manufacturing motorcycles in 1994 after the purchase of a failing, state-run firm. Small van production began in 1998, and in 2001 Geely received state
approval to make automobiles.
Geely had its IPO
on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
in 2004.
Between 2006 and 2008 Geely expressed its desire to sell in the EU and United States
markets, and in pursuit of this goal it presented at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show. It followed with a 2006 showing at the Detroit auto show. Export to the EU and US has been postponed.
Geely approached Ford in mid-2008 about a possible takeover of Volvo Cars
. On October 28, 2009, Geely was named as the preferred buyer of Volvo by the American automaker. A deal was reached in late March and completed in early August, 2010.
Volvo continues to operate independent of its new owners, but Geely wants to make Volvo-branded cars in China something Volvo (but not the Chinese State
) has agreed to, desires synergy
, and nowadays communicates with the company via a special, twice-yearly meeting.
(some of its production has been imported back to China), Sri Lanka
(in collaboration with Micro Cars
), Malaysia, Russia
(with cooperation from local firm Derways
), and Ukraine
. With the exception of the Russian factory, these locations are not necessarily affiliated with or owned by Geely.
Geely models are sold in Turkey
and may be assembled there as well.
.
, a licensed London Black Cab
, in China and is a joint venture
with Manganese Bronze Holdings
. The company exports semi-complete knock-down kits for assembly in the UK.
Pty Ltd, a global transmission developer headquartered in Australia.
.
sold on the Chinese market. Some of its cars are built by Geely subsidiary Shanghai LTI.
Gleagle cars, such as the Gleagle Panda
, are available for sale on the Internet in China via the Taobao Mall
, a popular e-commerce site. While Geely will deliver the car to your address, buying one of the Panda models on offer does necessitate a trip to a traditional dealer.
, Uruguay
, Chile
and Venezuela
, Geely sells automobiles and motorcycles. Geely has also entered the Bangladesh
i, Cuba
n, Indonesia
n, New Zealand
, Pakistan
i, Romania
n, South Africa
n, and Turkish
car markets. These exports may be in the form of complete knock-down kits. They have recently (Q3 2011) appointed a Distributor in Saudi Arabia
for selling their vehicles in the kingdom.
has purchased several lots of Geely vehicles, and a considerable number of Geely cars can be seen in Havana, Cuba, notably as police patrol cars or tourist taxis.
In Western media, the Geely GE has seen such opprobrium for looking like a Rolls-Royce and the LC
, a Toyota Aygo
.
s in the future. China subsidies
oil (an incentive for the State to encourage use and manufacture of electric cars), and some Chinese automakers see opportunities in less mature electric vehicles because Western companies have yet to develop much of a lead in the technology.
s. The maker of these taxis, which Geely holds part ownership of and a joint venture with, Manganese Bronze
, says it has held talks with UK government officials about this and has signed a research and development agreement with Tanfield Group
.
A 2009 1.3-liter Geely CK 1 model without airbag
s earned a zero-star rating in a Latin-NCAP crash-test on protecting adult occupants in front seats.
In 2010 the Geely LC
scored 45.3 in C-NCAP crash tests, making it China
's first locally researched and developed compact car to be awarded a 5-star rating, and it is subsequently the safest Chinese
hatchback as of 2011.
, Zhejiang
, Geely has production bases located in: Lanzhou
, Gansu
(completed in 2006, Geely construction in the region continued as of Aug., 2010, either for expanding the existing facility or on a new semi-complete knock-down factory.); Xiangtan
, Hunan
; 40 minutes south of Shanghai
; Jinan
, Shandong province
; and at Linhai
, Luqiao
and Ningbo
, in Zhejiang
.
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
and parent of Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd a private automobile manufacturer. Geely may often round out the top ten Chinese automakers.
Sales of automobiles and motorcycles in China and several South American nations comprise the majority of its business, and Geely has four brand names including its own. One of its models is named the Jingang or King Kong.
In 2010, Geely sold less than its 680,000 units/year manufacturing capacity and bought Volvo Cars
Volvo Cars
Volvo Car Corporation, or Volvo Personvagnar AB, is a Swedish automobile manufacturer founded in 1927, in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. Volvo was originally formed as a subsidiary company to the ball bearing maker SKF. When Volvo AB was introduced on the Swedish...
from Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
. Total sales in 2010 allowed the company a near 0.2% market share
Market share
Market share is the percentage of a market accounted for by a specific entity. In a survey of nearly 200 senior marketing managers, 67 percent responded that they found the "dollar market share" metric very useful, while 61% found "unit market share" very useful.Marketers need to be able to...
with 415,286 units.
History
Founding Geely in 1986 as a refrigerator-maker with money borrowed from family, Li ShufuLi Shufu
Li Shufu , is a Chinese industrialist and businessman and the Chairman of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. Ltd..-Biography:Li Shufu was born in Taizhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China in 1963. Li is the founder and current Chairman of the Geely Automobile, which is the second largest private...
transformed his company into a successful private automaker selling cheap products to inland Chinese consumers in tier-3 and 4 cities.
Geely started manufacturing motorcycles in 1994 after the purchase of a failing, state-run firm. Small van production began in 1998, and in 2001 Geely received state
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
approval to make automobiles.
Geely had its IPO
Initial public offering
An initial public offering or stock market launch, is the first sale of stock by a private company to the public. It can be used by either small or large companies to raise expansion capital and become publicly traded enterprises...
on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
Hong Kong Stock Exchange
The Hong Kong Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in Hong Kong. It is Asia's third largest stock exchange in terms of market capitalization behind the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Shanghai Stock Exchange and fifth largest in the world...
in 2004.
Between 2006 and 2008 Geely expressed its desire to sell in the EU and United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
markets, and in pursuit of this goal it presented at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show. It followed with a 2006 showing at the Detroit auto show. Export to the EU and US has been postponed.
Geely approached Ford in mid-2008 about a possible takeover of Volvo Cars
Volvo Cars
Volvo Car Corporation, or Volvo Personvagnar AB, is a Swedish automobile manufacturer founded in 1927, in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. Volvo was originally formed as a subsidiary company to the ball bearing maker SKF. When Volvo AB was introduced on the Swedish...
. On October 28, 2009, Geely was named as the preferred buyer of Volvo by the American automaker. A deal was reached in late March and completed in early August, 2010.
Volvo continues to operate independent of its new owners, but Geely wants to make Volvo-branded cars in China something Volvo (but not the Chinese State
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
) has agreed to, desires synergy
Synergy
Synergy may be defined as two or more things functioning together to produce a result not independently obtainable.The term synergy comes from the Greek word from , , meaning "working together".-Definitions and usages:...
, and nowadays communicates with the company via a special, twice-yearly meeting.
Overseas assembly
At least four overseas factories assemble Geely models probably from semi-complete or complete knock-down kits. These facilities are located in: IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
(some of its production has been imported back to China), Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
(in collaboration with Micro Cars
Micro Cars
Micro Cars is a automobile company based in Peliyagoda, Sri Lanka, Founded in 1995. This was established by automobile engineer, Dr. Lawrence Perara. Their first introduction was "Micro Privilege" which had 1000cc gasoline engine with inline 4 cylinders...
), Malaysia, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(with cooperation from local firm Derways
Derways Automobile Company
The Derways Automobile Company is a Russian automaker located in Cherkessk. The company was founded in 2003 as the first private car manufacturer of Russia and as a part of the Russian Mercury Group...
), and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. With the exception of the Russian factory, these locations are not necessarily affiliated with or owned by Geely.
Geely models are sold in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and may be assembled there as well.
Foreign acquisitions and joint ventures
Geely has made several major foreign acquisitions and participates in a joint ventureJoint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
.
Manganese Bronze joint venture
Established in 2007, Shanghai LTI Automobile Components Co Ltd makes the TX4TX4
The TX4 is a purpose built taxicab manufactured by Manganese Bronze Holdings / LTC The London Taxi Company, formerly LTI London Taxis International. It is the latest in a long line of purpose-built taxis manufactured by LTC...
, a licensed London Black Cab
Hackney carriage
A hackney or hackney carriage is a carriage or automobile for hire...
, in China and is a joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
with Manganese Bronze Holdings
Manganese Bronze Holdings
Manganese Bronze Holdings PLC is an engineering company based in Coventry, England. Since the sale of its components division in 2003 the company has only one operating division—LTI Limited, trading as The London Taxi Company—which manufactures and retails London Black Taxis.The London...
. The company exports semi-complete knock-down kits for assembly in the UK.
Drivetrain Systems International
In 2009 Geely bought Drivetrain Systems InternationalDrivetrain Systems International
Drivetrain System International is an Australian drivetrain constructor based in Springvale, Victoria with manufacturing facilities in Albury, New South Wales. Currently, it produces drivetrains for Ford, Chrysler, Geely and SsangYong....
Pty Ltd, a global transmission developer headquartered in Australia.
Name
Geely means "auspicious" or "lucky" in Mandarin ChineseChinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
.
Emgrand
Geely's medium to high-end luxury brand, Emgrand was launched in 2009.Englon
Launched in 2010, and replacing the Shanghai Maple brand, Englon emulates classic, British style, and its model line includes a TX4TX4
The TX4 is a purpose built taxicab manufactured by Manganese Bronze Holdings / LTC The London Taxi Company, formerly LTI London Taxis International. It is the latest in a long line of purpose-built taxis manufactured by LTC...
sold on the Chinese market. Some of its cars are built by Geely subsidiary Shanghai LTI.
Gleagle
Considered a "goofy" word by native English speakers, Gleagle is Geely's mid-range to entry-level brand with cheap and cheerful offerings.Gleagle cars, such as the Gleagle Panda
Geely LC
The Geely LC, sold in its home market as the Geely Panda, is a Chinese hatchback launched in 2009. In 2010 the LC scored 45.3 in C-NCAP crash tests, making it China's first locally researched and developed compact car to be awarded a 5-star rating, and it is subsequently the safest Chinese...
, are available for sale on the Internet in China via the Taobao Mall
Taobao
Taobao is a Chinese language web site for online shopping, similar to eBay, Rakuten and Amazon, operated in the People's Republic of China by Alibaba Group....
, a popular e-commerce site. While Geely will deliver the car to your address, buying one of the Panda models on offer does necessitate a trip to a traditional dealer.
Shanghai Maple
No longer used by Geely this was the brand name of a Geely subsidiary company, Shanghai Maple Automobile, established in 1999. It was replaced by the Englon brand in 2010.Dealer network
Geely refers to its dealer network as 4S stores and also sells some models online.Exports
In PeruPeru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, Geely sells automobiles and motorcycles. Geely has also entered the Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
i, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n, and Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
car markets. These exports may be in the form of complete knock-down kits. They have recently (Q3 2011) appointed a Distributor in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
for selling their vehicles in the kingdom.
Cuba
CubaCuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
has purchased several lots of Geely vehicles, and a considerable number of Geely cars can be seen in Havana, Cuba, notably as police patrol cars or tourist taxis.
Copying claims
Like many private Chinese automakers, some Geely models are criticised for too-closely resembling those of famous-name foreign manufacturers.In Western media, the Geely GE has seen such opprobrium for looking like a Rolls-Royce and the LC
Geely LC
The Geely LC, sold in its home market as the Geely Panda, is a Chinese hatchback launched in 2009. In 2010 the LC scored 45.3 in C-NCAP crash tests, making it China's first locally researched and developed compact car to be awarded a 5-star rating, and it is subsequently the safest Chinese...
, a Toyota Aygo
Toyota Aygo
The Toyota Aygo is a city car sold by Toyota in Europe since 2005. All Aygos are built at the new factory of the Toyota Peugeot Citroën Automobile Czech joint venture in Kolin, Czech Republic. The Aygo was first displayed at the 2005 Salon de l'Automobile de Genève...
.
Electric vehicles
Geely, alongside many of its Chinese counterparts, may sell electric vehicleElectric vehicle
An electric vehicle , also referred to as an electric drive vehicle, uses one or more electric motors or traction motors for propulsion...
s in the future. China subsidies
Subsidy
A subsidy is an assistance paid to a business or economic sector. Most subsidies are made by the government to producers or distributors in an industry to prevent the decline of that industry or an increase in the prices of its products or simply to encourage it to hire more labor A subsidy (also...
oil (an incentive for the State to encourage use and manufacture of electric cars), and some Chinese automakers see opportunities in less mature electric vehicles because Western companies have yet to develop much of a lead in the technology.
Electric Black Cabs
Geely is involved in determining the feasibility of developing electric-powered London Black CabHackney carriage
A hackney or hackney carriage is a carriage or automobile for hire...
s. The maker of these taxis, which Geely holds part ownership of and a joint venture with, Manganese Bronze
Manganese Bronze
Manganese Bronze Holdings PLC is an engineering company based in Coventry, England. Since the sale of its components division in 2003 the company has only one operating division—LTI Limited, trading as The London Taxi Company—which manufactures and retails London Black Taxis.The London...
, says it has held talks with UK government officials about this and has signed a research and development agreement with Tanfield Group
Tanfield Group
The Tanfield Group, formerly Comeleon, has changed its main focus from automotive components and imaging equipment to electric vehicle manufacturing and specialist engineering. As Comeleon, the company made 3D images for mobile phones and other devices, but saw the bottom drop out of its key...
.
Motorcycles
Geely manufactures a number of motor scooters and motorcycles from 50 to 250 cc displacement.Crash Tests
A small Geely sedan, the CK, performed badly in an informal crash test done by a Russian magazine sometime prior to 2008.A 2009 1.3-liter Geely CK 1 model without airbag
Airbag
An Airbag is a vehicle safety device. It is an occupant restraint consisting of a flexible envelope designed to inflate rapidly during an automobile collision, to prevent occupants from striking interior objects such as the steering wheel or a window...
s earned a zero-star rating in a Latin-NCAP crash-test on protecting adult occupants in front seats.
In 2010 the Geely LC
Geely LC
The Geely LC, sold in its home market as the Geely Panda, is a Chinese hatchback launched in 2009. In 2010 the LC scored 45.3 in C-NCAP crash tests, making it China's first locally researched and developed compact car to be awarded a 5-star rating, and it is subsequently the safest Chinese...
scored 45.3 in C-NCAP crash tests, making it China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
's first locally researched and developed compact car to be awarded a 5-star rating, and it is subsequently the safest Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
hatchback as of 2011.
Production bases and facilities
Headquartered in HangzhouHangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
, Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
, Geely has production bases located in: Lanzhou
Lanzhou
Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in Northwest China. A prefecture-level city, it is a key regional transportation hub, allowing areas further west to maintain railroad connections to the eastern half of the country....
, Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
(completed in 2006, Geely construction in the region continued as of Aug., 2010, either for expanding the existing facility or on a new semi-complete knock-down factory.); Xiangtan
Xiangtan
Xiangtan is a city in China's Hunan Province that is located on the lower reaches of Xiang river. The hometowns of several founding leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, including Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, and Peng Dehuai are in the Xiangtan Municipal District, as well as the hometowns of Qing...
, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
; 40 minutes south of Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
; Jinan
Jinan
Jinan is the capital of Shandong province in Eastern China. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of the region from the earliest beginnings of civilisation and has evolved into a major national administrative, economic, and transportation hub...
, Shandong province
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
; and at Linhai
Linhai
Linhai is a city in Taizhou prefecture, Zhejiang Province situated on the banks of the Lin River in Eastern China. Its wall attracts many tourists...
, Luqiao
Luqiao
Luqiao may refer to the following places in China:*Luqiao District , Taizhou, Zhejiang*Luqiao, Dingyuan County , town in Dingyuan County, Anhui*Luqiao, Weishan County, Shandong , town in Weishan County, Shandong...
and Ningbo
Ningbo
Ningbo is a seaport city of northeastern Zhejiang province, Eastern China. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, the municipality has a population of 7,605,700 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 3,089,180 in the built up area made of 6 urban districts. It lies south of the Hangzhou Bay,...
, in Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
.