Building cars in the UK ‘is very possible’, says Geely UK MD

Production of cars in the UK is a real possibility for Chinese car giant Geely Auto, the firm’s UK managing director told Carwow.

Speaking about the prospect of UK production, Mike Yang said the idea is firmly on the table, but would depend on a mix of commercial realities and government support: “Yeah, it’s very possible,” he said.

Yang suggested that policy support, skills training and the broader industrial environment would be key factors in any decision, echoing concerns raised by manufacturers across Europe as they seek to localise production while managing rising costs.

Cost remains central to the discussion, but Yang stressed that Geely’s priorities extend beyond simply building cars as cheaply as possible. “From a manufacturing perspective, it is an option to produce cars here or there,” he said. “So the target is the customer’s experience and satisfaction. It is a question that will determine efficiency and cost, and if [there is] an advantage.”

That focus on customer experience hints at why the UK could make sense for at least part of Geely’s future production footprint. Local manufacturing can shorten supply chains, reduce delivery times and allow products to be better tailored to regional tastes and regulations.

The overall Geely Holding company already has a significant footprint in the UK. The bases of two of its subsidiaries, Lotus and LEVC, are located in Norfolk and the West Midlands respectively. Coventry is also home to one of Geely’s worldwide design studios.

“We have manufacturing bases in the UK,” said Yang. “The products are there, and the engineering teams are busy. The design team is also still here.”

Increasing tariffs, shipping costs and political pressure to onshore production are forcing brands to reassess where they build their cars. The UK government is keen to attract investment from Chinese car firms, though lower import duties make it less of a priority for manufacturers than adopting a base within the EU in order to skirt punitive tariffs.

For the UK, which has seen several manufacturers scale back or close plants in recent years, the prospect of new investment from a global group like Geely would be significant.

Yang stopped short of committing to a timeline or specific model that could be built in Britain, but his remarks suggest the door is very much open.

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