Ford and Geely launch joint venture at Valencia plant
Ford Motor Company and China's Geely Automobile Holdings announced a joint venture to operate Ford’s Valencia (Almussafes) plant in Spain. Under the agreement Ford will hold 66% of the new entity and Geely 34%. The venture is slated to start operating in the first half of 2027, subject to regulatory approval, with the first new vehicles expected from the line in 2028.
The partnership will use the plant’s roughly 500,000‑vehicle annual capacity – which had fallen to under 100,000 units in the previous year – to produce a mix of multi‑energy models. Ford will continue building the Kuga SUV, add a new Bronco for Europe, and launch a jointly developed compact crossover. Geely will introduce two electric SUVs. The plan is to raise utilization, lower costs and safeguard the roughly 4,200 jobs at the site while allowing Geely to avoid EU tariffs on Chinese‑built cars.
The joint venture is presented as a way to secure the plant’s future, meet Europe’s demand for low‑emission vehicles and strengthen both companies’ competitive position in the region.
Entities: Alex Nan · Ford Motor Company · Geely Automobile Holdings · Geely Holding Group · Jim Baumbick · Valencia plant · Valencia plant (Almussafes)
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 10 SOURCES] Ford will own 66% of the new entity and Geely 34%. (Joint venture ownership details)
- [● 10 SOURCES] The venture will produce five new vehicle models: continue the Ford Kuga, add a new Bronco, a joint compact crossover, and two Geely electric SUVs. (Planned model lineup)
- [● 10 SOURCES] The Valencia plant has an annual capacity of about 500,000 vehicles but produced fewer than 100,000 units in the previous year. (Plant capacity and recent output)
- [● 10 SOURCES] First new vehicles from the joint venture are scheduled to roll off the production line in 2028. (Production schedule)
- [● 10 SOURCES] Producing cars in Spain allows Geely to avoid EU tariffs on Chinese‑built vehicles. (Tariff avoidance rationale)
- [● 10 SOURCES] Ford and Geely will form a joint venture to operate the Valencia plant. (Joint venture announcement)
- [● 10 SOURCES] The partnership aims to preserve roughly 4,200 jobs at the Valencia facility. (Employment impact)
- [● 10 SOURCES] The joint venture is expected to start operating in the first half of 2027. (Timeline for JV launch)