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Geely is the Chinese group that owns Volvo and Lotus, selling its own cars in the UK since October 2025. The electric EX5 costs from £31,990.
| Owner | Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, Hangzhou, China |
|---|---|
| Where built | China; UK EX5s come from Geely's Hangzhou Bay plant (Automotive Logistics, December 2025) |
| In the UK since | 23 October 2025 |
| UK dealers | 80 open and 100 signed (October 2026) |
| Models on sale in the UK | EX2 and EX5 (electric), Starray EM-i (plug-in hybrid) |
| Cheapest | EX2 Pro, £20,990 (November 2026) |
| Warranty | 8 years or 125,000 miles; battery 8 years or 125,000 miles |
| Electric Car Grant | No Geely qualifies |
The Geely EX5 suits a family that charges at home, covers mostly local and commuting miles and wants a big, comfortable, well-equipped electric SUV for about £32,000, ideally in SE trim. It does not suit keen drivers, anyone who needs the most range for the money, or buyers who want physical buttons rather than a touchscreen for everyday controls.
The Geely Starray EM-i is a spacious, generously equipped plug-in hybrid SUV for the money, and the £34,990 Ultra, with 84 miles of electric range and 60 kW charging, is the version that makes the strongest case. Buy one if you can charge at home and want space and kit on a budget; look elsewhere if you enjoy driving, want simple physical controls or need a confirmed towing limit.
Geely is a Chinese car company, owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group of Hangzhou, the same group that owns Volvo Cars. It has sold its own-brand cars in the UK since October 2025: the electric EX5 SUV costs from £31,990 and the Starray EM-i plug-in hybrid from £29,990 in November 2026, both with an eight-year warranty but no UK reliability record yet.
This hub covers who owns Geely, where the cars are built, every model on sale, dealers, warranty, safety and what is coming next. For the other makes we cover, start from our electric car guides by brand.
Geely cars are made by Geely Auto, part of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, which is headquartered in Hangzhou, China. The group was founded in 1986 and began making cars in 1997, according to its own website. Auto Express reports that its founder, Eric Li, started out making refrigerator parts.
Geely is best known in Britain as an owner. Geely Holding bought Volvo Cars from Ford in August 2010 for $1.8 billion, with Li Shufu (Eric Li), the group’s chairman, taking the chair of Volvo’s board, according to Guide Auto Web. Auto Express lists Volvo, Lotus, Polestar, Smart and LEVC, the London taxi maker, among the brands Geely owns or has a significant stake in. The group’s own site also names Zeekr and Lynk & Co.
That family matters for the cars. Geely-badged models are their own designs, not rebadged Volvos, but Lotus helped develop the EX5’s suspension and damping for British roads and carries out pre-delivery inspections at Bristol, according to Automotive Logistics.
Geely cars sold in the UK are built in China. UK-bound EX5s are made at Geely’s new energy vehicle plant in Hangzhou Bay and shipped to the port of Bristol, with about four months from order to arrival, Automotive Logistics reported in December 2025. Service parts are kept at a Geely-owned store in Coventry.
No Geely-badged car is built in Britain. In January 2026 Mike Yang, Geely Auto UK’s managing director, told Carwow that UK production was “very possible”, depending on commercial realities and government support, but he gave no model or timeline.
Geely Auto UK launched on 23 October 2025 with the EX5 as its first car. The group has a longer history here: it invested in the London Taxi Company, now LEVC, in 2006, according to Automotive Logistics. Geely Auto UK’s headquarters is at Ansty Business Park near Coventry.
In its first year Geely registered 15,264 cars in the UK, with its best month in September 2026 at 5,155, and it is targeting 20,000 in 2026. Our report on Geely’s first UK year and its 45,000 target has the detail.
Geely sells three models in the UK: two electric cars, the EX2 and EX5, and one plug-in hybrid, the Starray EM-i. All are SUVs. Prices are on-the-road list prices in November 2026 from Geely Auto UK.
| Version | Type | Price (Nov 2026) | WLTP range | Battery | Max DC charging | Max AC charging | Boot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EX2 Pro | Electric | £20,990 | 156 miles | 35.4 kWh | 60 kW | 6.6 kW | 375 litres |
| EX2 Max | Electric | £23,490 | 214 miles | 47.1 kWh | 80 kW | 6.6 kW | 375 litres |
| EX2 Ultra | Electric | £25,490 | 214 miles | 47.1 kWh | 80 kW | 6.6 kW | 375 litres |
| Starray EM-i Pro | Plug-in hybrid | £29,990 | 51 electric miles | 18.4 kWh | 30 kW | 6.6 kW | 528 litres |
| EX5 SE | Electric | £31,990 | 267 miles | 60.2 kWh | 120 kW | 11 kW | 461 litres |
| Starray EM-i Max | Plug-in hybrid | £32,690 | 51 electric miles | 18.4 kWh | 30 kW | 6.6 kW | 528 litres |
| EX5 Pro | Electric | £33,990 | 258 miles | 60.2 kWh | 120 kW | 11 kW | 461 litres |
| Starray EM-i Ultra | Plug-in hybrid | £34,990 | 84 electric miles | 28.9 kWh | 60 kW | 6.6 kW | 528 litres |
| EX5 Max | Electric | £36,990 | 255 miles | 60.2 kWh | 120 kW | 11 kW | 461 litres |
| EX5 Ultra | Electric | £38,990 | 280 miles | 68.4 kWh | 135 kW | 11 kW | 461 litres |
The Geely EX5, a mid-sized electric family SUV, was Geely’s first UK car. It costs £31,990 as the SE, with 267 miles of WLTP range from a 60.2 kWh usable battery, 120 kW rapid charging, 11 kW AC charging and a 461-litre boot. All versions have a 160 kW motor driving the front wheels; the SE reaches 62mph in 6.9 seconds. The Ultra, on sale since May 2026, has a larger 68.4 kWh battery for 280 miles and 135 kW charging, at £38,990. The battery uses lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry, according to Geely.
Auto Express’s testers rated the EX5 3.5 out of 5 in November 2025. They liked its comfortable ride, its space and its price, and criticised an annoying touchscreen, average range and a forgettable drive.
The EX2 is Geely’s small electric car, priced from £20,990 for the Pro with 156 miles of range, or £23,490 for the Max with a 47.1 kWh battery and 214 miles. It is rear-wheel drive, with 80 kW rapid charging on the bigger battery and a 375-litre boot. Our Geely EX2 UK price and range report covers each trim.
A Geely EX5 SE costs 1.5p a mile to charge at home on a 6.5p/kWh off-peak tariff, on EV Compared’s sums. We divide the WLTP range by the usable battery to get miles per kWh, then apply Intelligent Octopus Go’s 6.5p/kWh, the 26.32p/kWh price cap rate and Zapmap’s October 2026 public rapid average of 82p/kWh, as set out in our methodology.
| Running cost | EX5 SE | EX2 Max |
|---|---|---|
| Miles per kWh (WLTP) | 4.44 | 4.54 |
| Full charge at home, 6.5p/kWh | £3.91 | £3.06 |
| Full charge at price cap, 26.32p/kWh | £15.84 | £12.40 |
| Full charge on a public rapid, 82p/kWh | £49.36 | £38.62 |
| Pence per mile at home | 1.5p | 1.4p |
| Pence per mile on a public rapid | 18.5p | 18.0p |
| 8,000 miles a year at home | £117 | £114 |
| 8,000 miles a year on public rapids | £1,479 | £1,444 |
| Hours to full on a 7 kW wallbox | 8.6 | 7.1 |
If you need a home wallbox fitted, Best Chargers compares home chargers and installers. On list price per mile of WLTP range, the EX2 Max is the lowest of any electric Geely at £110, against £120 for the EX5 SE and £135 for the EX2 Pro.
Yes. The Starray EM-i is a plug-in hybrid SUV that pairs a 1.5-litre petrol engine with a battery you charge from the mains. The Geely Starray EM-i plug-in hybrid costs £29,990 as the Pro and £32,690 as the Max, both with 51 miles of WLTP electric range from an 18.4 kWh battery. The £34,990 Ultra has a 28.9 kWh usable battery and 84 miles of electric range, with 60 kW rapid charging against 30 kW on the smaller pack. Its 528-litre boot is bigger than the EX5’s. Orders opened in February 2026, EV Fleet World reported.
For most buyers who can charge at home, yes. The EX5 SE costs £2,000 more than the Starray EM-i Pro plug-in hybrid but covers 267 miles on electricity against 51, so far more of your driving runs at 1.5p a mile at home instead of switching to petrol. Both have the same warranty, and neither gets a grant.
The Starray plug-in hybrid makes more sense if you regularly drive long distances and would rather not stop to charge, or if you want the bigger boot. If you cannot charge at home or work, a plug-in hybrid will spend most of its life running on petrol.
Geely had 80 retail sites open at its first anniversary in October 2026 and had signed its 100th, Evans Halshaw Geely Mansfield, with Lithia UK, according to CnEVPost and EV.com. It launched with 25 dealers in October 2025, Auto Express reported, and its target is 100 open by the end of 2026 and 130 to 140 in the longer term. The network has grown fast, but check the distance to your nearest site before you order.
Every new Geely has a standard eight-year or 125,000-mile warranty, and the battery is covered for the same eight years or 125,000 miles, according to Geely Auto UK in November 2026. The EX5 also comes with four years of 24-hour roadside assistance. Here is how that compares with BYD, from each maker’s UK site.
| Brand | New car warranty | Battery warranty |
|---|---|---|
| Geely | 8 years or 125,000 miles | 8 years or 125,000 miles |
| BYD | 6 years or 93,750 miles | 8 years or 125,000 miles |
When Geely launched, Auto Express reported that the eight-year cover was a promotional offer that would later revert to six years or 100,000 miles. Geely’s own site still describes eight years as standard, so confirm the terms on your car’s paperwork when you buy.
All three Geely models on sale in the UK have five Euro NCAP stars. The EX5 was rated in April 2025 and the Starray EM-i in December 2025 under the old protocol; the EX2, tested as the Geely E2, was rated on 2 September 2026 under Euro NCAP’s new 2026 protocol, which scores cars in four different stages.
| Model | Rating published | Stars | Adult | Child | Vulnerable road users | Safety assist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EX5 | 9 April 2025 | 5 | 86% | 87% | 83% | 83% |
| Starray EM-i | 10 December 2025 | 5 | 90% | 87% | 86% | 77% |
The EX2 scored 79% for safe driving, 72% for crash avoidance, 86% for crash protection and 95% for post-crash safety. Our report on the EX2’s five-star Euro NCAP result explains the new test.
There is no UK reliability data for Geely yet. The brand has been on sale in the UK for just over a year, and we found no UK owner survey that includes the brand.
Resale values are also unknown, because there is not yet a settled used market for Geely. Our guide to how electric cars hold their value explains what drives depreciation in the meantime. The eight-year warranty is the main protection against both risks for now.
Three more Geely models are expected to join the UK range in 2027, taking it to six, EV.com reported. The first is the Monjaro, a larger plug-in hybrid SUV that Auto Express reported in October 2026 will reach UK showrooms in 2027, expected to start in the low £40,000s; Geely has not confirmed a price or electric range.
Further out, Auto Express reports Geely plans to bring the Galaxy Battleship 700, a hybrid off-roader, in 2028. Our report on Geely’s Defender-style KO11 off-roader covers its UK plans.
Buy a Geely if price, space and warranty matter more to you than brand history. The EX5 suits a family with a home charger who wants a roomy electric SUV for £31,990 with eight years of cover. The EX2 suits a mostly local driver who wants a new electric car for £20,990. The Starray EM-i plug-in hybrid suits a high-mileage driver who is not ready to rely on public charging.
Look elsewhere if you want proven reliability and predictable resale values, if you live far from one of Geely’s dealers, or if driving enjoyment is high on your list. Our verdict rests on published data and other testers’ reviews: EV Compared has not driven these cars. On that evidence Geely offers strong value and safety backed by a long warranty, and the main risk is how new it is to the UK.
Range figures are official WLTP combined values taken from manufacturer UK specification pages, with real-world estimates drawn from independent comparative testing. Prices are UK list prices at the time of the latest update. Tax, grant and charging-scheme figures come from GOV.UK and HMRC publications. We re-check every guide when pricing, specification or policy changes. Last checked 10 November 2026. How we work out our own figures.
Geely Auto is owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, a private Chinese car company based in Hangzhou. It was founded in 1986 by Eric Li, who as chairman led the purchase of Volvo Cars from Ford in 2010. The group also has stakes in Lotus, Polestar, Smart and LEVC.
No. Geely Holding owns Volvo Cars, but Geely-badged cars are a separate brand with their own UK dealers and their own designs. They share group expertise: Lotus engineers helped tune the EX5's suspension for British roads, according to Automotive Logistics.
The Geely EX5 costs from £31,990 for the SE in November 2026, with 267 miles of WLTP range. The Pro is £33,990, the Max £36,990 and the Ultra, with a larger 68.4 kWh battery and 280 miles of range, is £38,990.
The early reviews are positive on value. Auto Express rated the EX5 3.5 out of 5 in November 2025, praising its space, comfort and price but criticising a fiddly touchscreen and average range. All three UK models have five Euro NCAP stars, but long-term reliability is not yet known.
On warranty, Geely is ahead: eight years or 125,000 miles against BYD's six years or 93,750 miles, with both covering the battery for eight years or 125,000 miles.
Geely cars sold in the UK are built in China. UK-bound EX5s are made at Geely's new energy vehicle plant in Hangzhou Bay and shipped to Bristol, according to Automotive Logistics. Geely's UK boss has said building cars in Britain is very possible, but there is no plan or date.
No. No Geely model appears on the government's list of cars eligible for the grant in November 2026, so every Geely is sold at its full list price.
Revealed at the Paris motor show, the KO11 will sit above the Monjaro in Geely's range. In China it has up to 925hp, lidar-based driver assistance and a 1,050-litre boot. Geely has confirmed it for the UK, but not its name or specs.
The Chinese brand behind Volvo and Polestar's parent group launched its own cars in the UK a year ago. It now has a Coventry headquarters, a 100th dealer signed and plans to more than double sales next year.
Three Chinese EVs have passed Euro NCAP's tougher 2026 tests, with the Leapmotor B05 scoring 92% for crash protection. Here is how the scores break down, what Euro NCAP flagged, and which cars UK buyers can order.