Geely May Introduce Electric Pickup Truck In 2022

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Geely is an interesting company. Where others shout their accomplishments from the highest rooftops, it prefers to keep a low profile and quietly move forward with its electric vehicle plans. It also has a preference for doing business under a variety of brand names.

Geely owns Volvo Cars and Polestar. It also owns the London Electric Vehicle Company and is the parent company of the Zeekr, Link & Company, and Geometry brands, while selling some cars under the Geely brand as well. (Rumor has it the company is interested in adding Volvo Trucks to its stable, but that deal hasn’t happened yet.)

According to cls.cn, a Chinese news source, Geely is now saying it plans to introduce an electric pickup truck perhaps as early as the middle of next year. That story was reported by CnEVPost before being picked up by Inside EVs. Whether that pickup truck will be for the domestic Chinese market or is intended for export is not known at this time.

What is known is that the company will likely spin off yet another brand from its commercial vehicles division and that the vehicle will be based on a chassis that the company says will be capable of single, dual, or triple electric motor configurations and could incorporate a range extender engine as well.

The Geely Plan For World Dominance

OK, Geely really doesn’t plan to rule the world, but it does have a fairly ambitious plan for manufacturing EVs. It is called the Smart Geely 2025 Strategy and it includes a goal to increase vehicle sales to 3.65 million units annually by 2025. That works out to 10,000 cars a day, which would be no small feat. The plan calls for Zeekr to sell 650,000 cars annually.

“Over the next five years, Geely will launch more than 25 new smart vehicle products, opening the doors to a new era of smart mobility. Geometry brand will launch at least 5 new models starting from 2022 developed on pure electric platforms and the SEA architecture for the mainstream market segment. Lynk & Co will launch more than 5 new smart models, further diversifying its product range.

“In 2023, Geely Auto Group will launch a new battery swapping mobility brand and 5 new smart battery swapping pure electric models, providing users with new options for intelligent zero-emission mobility. Geely sales goals are not limited to China – by 2025, the Group aims to achieve exceed 600,000 in overseas sales.”

Battery swapping is popular in China, and Nio is bringing the idea to Norway. Geely expects to have 5,000 battery swap stations spread across 100 cities in China by 2025. “Geely Technology Group has already established around 100 battery swapping stations across China that can swap batteries in as fast as 59 seconds using automated technologies that allows for safe operation. The driver simply enters into the station and leaves with a fully charged battery without having to leave the vehicle.”

Battery swapping may seem peculiar to many drivers, but the idea has several advantages. It allows customers to pay less for their new car and simply choose a battery leasing program that fits their budget. It also gives drivers the flexibility to fit whichever size battery is appropriate for their present driving needs.

A person could save money by leasing a 40 kWh battery for routine driving and then pay extra for a 100 kWh battery two weeks a year when it’s time to go on vacation. It also means the battery in a car is always the most current technology available and completely eliminates any concerns about battery degradation over the life of the vehicle. Maybe there’s something to this battery swapping idea after all!

We cannot explain Geely’s desire to market its cars using a variety of brand names that people aren’t familiar with. But it’s their money and they can do with it whatever they want. Whether it is called a Volvo, a Polestar, a Zeekr, or a Geometry, is there a Geely in your future? We wouldn’t bet against it.


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Steve Hanley

Steve writes about the interface between technology and sustainability from his home in Florida or anywhere else The Force may lead him. He is proud to be "woke" and doesn't really give a damn why the glass broke. He believes passionately in what Socrates said 3000 years ago: "The secret to change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new." You can follow him on Substack and LinkedIn but not on Fakebook or any social media platforms controlled by narcissistic yahoos.

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