Geely Chairman Says Global Auto Industry Has Too Many Factories, Pivots to Asset-Sharing Model

Li Shufu, the billionaire chairman of Geely Holding Group and the man who acquired Volvo Cars from Ford for $1.8 billion in 2010, has concluded that the global automotive industry is burdened by excess factory capacity and is pivoting Geely toward a model that borrows and shares manufacturing assets rather than building new plants, The Next Web reported. Li's position represents a significant strategic shift for one of China's most acquisitive automakers. Geely has historically grown through factory construction and brand acquisitions, building out a portfolio that now includes Volvo Cars, Polestar, Lotus, and stakes in several other manufacturers. The new direction acknowledges that global overcapacity, intensifying electric vehicle competition, and trade tariffs have made greenfield factory investment economically questionable. The overcapacity problem is particularly acute in China, where government subsidies for EV manufacturing over the past decade resulted in dozens of new entrants building production facilities that now compete for a market that has not grown as fast as combined supply. Several Chinese EV startups have already failed or are operating at severe losses as a result. By sharing or leasing capacity from existing manufacturers rather than building new lines, Geely could reduce capital expenditure and avoid the fixed cost burden of underutilized plants. The strategy mirrors approaches being explored by other capital-efficient automotive entrants, though it requires finding manufacturing partners willing to accept the arrangement. Geely's global manufacturing footprint, which spans facilities in China, Europe, and elsewhere, could itself become an asset to offer other automakers under a capacity-sharing arrangement. Li did not specify which brands or production lines would be offered as shared capacity or which partners Geely is in discussions with.