Ford's Spanish plant in Valencia is preparing for a large-scale restructuring that will bring back to life a facility with a dramatically decreased capacity in recent years. The deal between the two automobile concerns envisages the Chinese company investing in production lines to implement its own and joint projects on European soil. According to official data from Geely's management, the production process at the plant should start smoothly by 2028, marking the beginning of a completely new chapter for the facility.
The basis of Ford's future compact crossover will be the flexible Global Intelligent Electric Architecture, known in the industry as GEA. This platform has already proven its qualities in Geely's Asian models, including the all-electric EX5 and the plug-in hybrid Starray. However, American engineers are betting on a multi-energy drive concept, which means that the new model will offer customers both hybrid systems and fully electric versions.
Despite the common technological base with its Chinese relatives, the American automaker is keen to maintain its identity. Ford's design team is preparing an aggressive vision with clear rally motifs that will visually distinguish the model from everything else on the market. The new crossover will share the assembly line in Valencia with the legendary Bronco, whose European premiere is also planned for 2028, albeit on a completely different platform.
The partnership envisages a total of five new models to roll off the Spanish assembly lines - two under the Geely logo and three with the Ford emblem. For the Chinese concern, this is a key step towards a permanent establishment in Europe, while for the American company, the cooperation provides access to competitive electric technology and optimization of production costs in the region.