2023 Geely Electric SUV (with battery swap) confirmed for Europe

On 1 November 2021, Geely Auto Group revealed a new mid-term strategy called ‘Smart Geely 2025,’ where it will launch more than 25 new smart vehicle products. One of these will be an electric SUV that will make it to Europe as the company eyes a greater presence in the global markets.

3.65 million vehicles by 2025

Geely Auto Group aims to increase its annual sales to 3.65 million vehicles annually by 2025. While most of that volume may come from China, a sizeable portion could come from overseas markets. The Zeekr brand alone would contribute 650,000 units to annual sales, with 50,000 units coming from the overseas markets. It expects its (group’s) overseas yearly sales to increase to 600,000 units by 2025.

10 Geely-branded EVs by 2025; new battery-swapping EV brand

Over the next five years, Geely Auto Group will release more than ten Geely-brand intelligent and electrified models, more than five new Lynk & Co smart models, and no less than five new Geometry pure electric models. In 2023, the company plans to introduce a new battery swapping mobility brand and five new EVs with battery swapping feature. The same year, it will launch a new “high-end” electric SUV in Europe, and it is insinuated that the SUV would bear this brand’s logo.

In 2023, the first electric SUV product will be launched in Europe first, realizing the globalization and high-end of smart new energy products. The brand-new technology and new energy exchange travel brand (‘energy exchange’ refers to battery swapping) will be based on the exclusive architecture platform, and will successively launch 5 kinds of intelligent pure electric products that can exchange electricity, provide users with efficient and intelligent travel services, and become a new force in the exchange travel technology ecosystem.

Geely Automobile Group’s announcement (translated) from Nov 1, 2021

Geely & Zeekr are going global

Geely and Zeekr brands will be at the forefront of Geely Auto Group’s globalization efforts. Lotus’ expansion plan with three SUV/SUV coupe models by 2025 will also help achieve the new mid-term goals. The Lotus SUV models should be some of the company’s main launches in the premium/luxury segments in overseas markets. Then there’s also the smart brand, the line-up of which will see the addition of a small electric SUV 2022. The first smart SUV could achieve significant volumes in China and Europe.

The three vehicles platforms

Geely Auto Group’s future EVs, presumably including the Europe-bound electric SUV due in 2023, will likely be highly digital models. Between Geely Auto Group and Volvo Cars Group, three modular vehicle architectures are available to build vehicles: BMA, CMA, SPA (incl. SPA II), and SEA. In addition to the SEA for vehicles, Geely Auto Group has developed an electronic and electrical architecture that acts as the vehicle’s central nervous system – GEEA2.0. A more advanced version called GEE3.0 is in the pipeline.

Geely Auto Group will build a full-stack development ecosystem covering electronic and electrical architecture, vehicle software, cockpit software, and autonomous driving software. It will introduce a 5 nm integrated vehicle CPU and an autonomous driving chip required for high-end autonomous drive functions. By 2025, it aims to release one or two firmware-over-the-air upgrades every quarter. These FOTA upgrades would cover powertrain solutions, potentially improving the vehicles’ efficiency and performance of the cars periodically for years after they have left the factory.

Featured Image Source: ZGH