Geely, appliance giant Gree partner on in-vehicle hardware R&D

Takeaways by AI

Geely and Gree sign framework deal to co-develop in-vehicle intelligent hardware and ecosystems.
Gree formally enters auto supply chain, scaling thermal-management parts and silicon carbide chips for EVs.
Deal details, timelines, and investments remain unspecified despite strong customer traction and manufacturing plans.

Geely Group and Chinese appliance giant Gree Electric Appliances have officially signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement.

Under the agreement, the two parties will collaborate in areas including joint R&D of in-vehicle intelligent hardware, intelligent manufacturing supply chains, logistics and warehousing, industrial internet, user ecosystems, smart transportation, and home appliances.

At the signing event, Geely Group Chairman Li Shufu and Gree Chairman Dong Mingzhu toured the dummy lab and sled test lab, and observed full-vehicle safety crash tests on site.

This cooperation marks Gree’s formal entry into the automotive industry as a “supplier.”

Notably, Gree’s journey in the automotive sector did not begin with this signing.

In previous years, there had been widespread speculation about Gree building cars. Dong Mingzhu repeatedly responded that Gree does not make passenger cars or sedans, but has already expanded into segments such as sanitation trucks, heavy trucks, and buses.

She defined this choice as a “strategic decision” rather than a “surrender.” Gree has already applied its air-conditioning technology to commercial vehicles such as Gree Titanium new-energy buses and coaches.

Dong Mingzhu responds to Gree not building cars

Beyond complete vehicles, Gree is accelerating its push upstream into the automotive industry chain.

Its holding subsidiary Dunan Environment launched a smart manufacturing headquarters base in Zhuji, Zhejiang in 2025, with a total investment of 5 billion yuan. Once completed, it will produce 100 million sets of new-energy vehicle thermal management components annually. As of May 2025, Dunan Environment had cumulative fixed-order backlogs for automotive thermal management parts of approximately 15 billion yuan, securing core customers including BYD, Geely, and Li Auto.

In January this year, Gree officially disclosed that its self-developed silicon carbide chips will enter mass production in 2026, expanding from home appliance applications to new-energy vehicle scenarios. During one exchange, GAC Group Chairman Feng Xingya remarked that in the future, half of GAC’s automotive chips could be replaced by Gree’s products.

For now, the cooperation between Geely and Gree remains at the framework agreement stage, with details on project implementation timelines, investment scale, and output expectations yet to be disclosed.