Geely is considering building a plug-in hybrid SUV with a separate body-on-frame chassis at Ford’s Valencia plant in Spain. The information was published on 15 September by Automotive News Europe, citing people familiar with the project. It is an option under study, not an official announcement that production of this model in Europe is starting.
According to the publication, one reason would be to avoid future European duties on plug-in hybrids made in China. That outlook should be kept separate from the countervailing measures adopted for fully electric cars: the 2024 European regulation does not introduce the same duties for all electrified powertrains.
Illustrative image: Geely EX5 electric. The photograph does not show the plug-in hybrid SUV reported by Automotive News Europe.
A body-on-frame SUV, possibly in Valencia
The model described by Automotive News Europe is a plug-in hybrid SUV at the top of Geely’s range, with a body-on-frame construction. In that layout, the body is mounted on a separate chassis, unlike the monocoque structure used by many road-going SUVs.
Reporting on this model is not the same as a final assignment of production to the Spanish plant. The broader timetable of the Ford partnership should also not be read automatically as a launch date for this hybrid SUV.
What Ford and Geely have already announced
The two companies announced on 23 July 2026 an agreement for a joint venture in Valencia. The proposed structure gives Ford a 66% stake and Geely 34%. Operations are estimated to start in the first half of 2027, after the necessary approvals, and the first new cars are scheduled for 2028.
The statement mentions three Ford models that could use several types of propulsion and two Geely electric models. It does not confirm production of the plug-in hybrid SUV described in the new report. There is therefore an announced industrial agreement and, separately, information about a possible additional model.
Duties on EVs and the prospect of measures for PHEVs
Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2754 covers imports of new battery-electric cars originating in China. A plug-in hybrid, which combines a combustion engine with a grid-chargeable electric system, should not be confused with that category.
Automotive News Europe’s reference to possible duties on PHEVs explains the reason attributed to the local-production project. It does not, by itself, prove that such duties have already been adopted. For a car built in Spain, commercial treatment has to be assessed against origin rules and applicable measures, not only the nationality of the brand.
For the Romanian market, the information is not yet a sales announcement. The Valencia report does not give a price in euros, a delivery date in Romania or confirmation that the plug-in hybrid SUV will join Geely’s local range.
