The successful partnership between Volvo Cars and Geely is about to go a step further. In a press release on Volvo Cars’ official site today, it was shown that both companies want to merge their combustion engine operations into a stand-alone business. This will be done to create a platform for next-generation petrol, diesel and hybrid powertrains.
It would also free Volvo Cars up to focus on developing its own all-electric range of premium cars. By 2025, Volvo Cars expects half its sales globally to consist of electric cars, while the other half is expected to be hybrid cars. And these hybrid cars will get their powertrains from this new Volvo Cars-Geely engine company.
More interestingly, this also means that Geely’s other car brands: Geely Auto, Proton, Lotus, LEVC and LYNK & CO, will all derive engine tech from this one source.
Here’s the full press release with more details.
Press Release
Volvo Cars and Geely intend to merge their existing combustion engine operations into a stand-alone business in order to establish a new global supplier that will seek to develop next generation combustion engines and hybrid powertrains.
The proposed new business would clear the way for Volvo Cars to focus on the development of its all-electric range of premium cars. Volvo Cars is building an entirely electrified product range, as part of the company’s ambition to put sustainability at the core of its operations. By the middle of the next decade it expects half its global sales to be fully electric and the other half hybrid, supplied by the new unit.
For Geely, the planned new entity means technologically-advanced and efficient combustion engines and hybrid powertrains would be available to Geely Auto, Proton, Lotus, LEVC and LYNK & CO. The planned new stand-alone business can also supply third party manufacturers, providing possible growth opportunities.
The planned new business would represent a significant industrial collaboration between Volvo Cars and Geely with substantial operational, industrial and financial synergies.
The proposed new business is intended to be an attractive employer for approximately 3,000 employees from Volvo Cars and around 5,000 employees from Geely’s combustion engine operations including research and development, procurement, manufacturing, IT and finance functions. No reductions in the workforce are anticipated.
Both Volvo Cars and Geely are in the process of carving out their ICE operations into new units within their respective organisations, as a first step towards a merger of the two into a combined new stand-alone business.
Volvo Cars believes the electrification of the automotive industry will be a gradual process, meaning there will be significant ongoing demand for efficient hybrid powertrains alongside fully-electric offerings.
The detailed plans of the new business are under development and subject to union negotiations as well as board and relevant authority approvals.
