Geely takes 26.4% of Renault do Brasil to expand EV manufacturing

Chinese automaker Geely is deepening its partnership with Renault by acquiring a 26.4% stake in Renault do Brasil, the French brand’s Brazilian unit. The strategic move bolsters both companies on Latin America’s largest market and opens the door to co-developing and building vehicles with zero and low emissions.

The two groups already have global projects in motion, including the Horse Powertrain joint venture focused on hybrid and internal combustion technologies. In South Korea, the collaboration produced the Renault Grand Koleos crossover based on Geely’s Xingyue L. Now the focus shifts to electric vehicles for Brazil—a natural progression for a region that’s gathering pace.

Under the terms of the deal, Geely will gain access to Renault’s plant in São José dos Pinhais (Paraná state), where the Geely EX5 electric crossover is already built and distributed by Renault. The new arrangement will ramp up local manufacturing and broaden the EV lineup using the GEA platform, a flexible architecture for both hybrid and electric models. With an established factory in play, the plan lands on solid industrial ground from day one.

Renault’s François Provost described the alliance with Geely as a key step in the company’s global strategy, while Geely chairman Eric Li emphasized that the partnership is intended to create a mutually beneficial growth model, combining the technologies, production capabilities, and sales networks of both brands. The tone from both sides suggests a long game: shared engineering with clear regional intent.

Altogether, the Renault–Geely tie-up ranks among the most ambitious Europe–China collaborations in electric mobility, reinforcing both companies’ positions in a fast-growing Latin American market.