An Congrong has succeeded Li Shufu as chairman of Geely Auto, in a leadership handover announced at the company’s H1 2026 results briefing on 17 August.
Geely Auto Holdings said Li Shufu, chairman of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, resigned as chairman and executive director of Geely Auto, taking the honorary chairman-for-life role while staying chairman of the holding group. An Congrong, formerly CEO of the holding group, takes the Geely Auto chair. Li Donghui stepped down as vice-chairman but stays executive director. Gui Shengyue moved from administrative president to vice-chairman. Gan Jiayue became administrative president in charge of daily operations.
Key points from the briefing:
1. Management overhaul: Li Shufu steps back. An Congrong, a lifer groomed inside Geely, takes the chair.
2. Export target raised sharply: the 2026 export goal rose from 640,000 to 920,000 units, challenging 1 million, with a long-term aim of two-thirds of sales from overseas.
3. Competition stance: no price war. fight the technology war, brand war, service war, moral war, focused on premiumisation, globalisation and intelligence.
4. Brand consolidation: faster synergy across Zeekr, Lynk, Galaxy and China Star. model count already cut 20 per cent.
5. Missing hit model response: more pure-EV models, AI fast-charging in September, megawatt charging without heat rise and millisecond temperature control, high-voltage fast charge across Lynk and Galaxy.
Geely called H1 2026 its best half-year report: record highs in sales scale, revenue, profit, average price and per-car core net profit. Total revenue reached 173.6 billion yuan, up 15 per cent. core attributable net profit reached 9.68 billion yuan, up 46 per cent. total sales passed 1.423 million units, a record for the period. average per-car revenue rose 16 per cent to 112,000 yuan. per-car core net profit rose 45 per cent to 6,806 yuan.
Export target challenges 1 million, management de-family-ised With first-half overseas exports of 474,000 units, up 158 per cent, Geely raised its 2026 export target from 640,000 to 920,000 units, challenging 1 million, with two-thirds of sales eventually from overseas. An Congrong said Europe is targeted at around 600,000 units a year. Localisation is taking shape: a Ford Spain plant with 500,000 units of capacity will build Geely products, and a Renault-linked Brazil project adds 300,000 units.
On the Ford Spain joint venture, An said cooperation rests on Geely’s Galaxy GEA architecture, developing products for each side’s platform. Geely products will not enter the US market, and locally built European products will sell in Europe. The EU’s upcoming competition act will set legal requirements.
An Congrong’s pledge: build the mid-tier hit On pure EV, Gan Jiayue said demand is strong on high voltage, ultra-fast charge and large batteries plus intelligence, and Geely has comprehensive coverage. Galaxy TT and Lynk Z20 pure-EV models launch this year. Geely will launch AI fast-charging in September, keeping megawatt charging from heating up with millisecond temperature checks.
On fossil-fuel products, Geely will stop developing traditional fuel cars and shift all to its i-HEV intelligent hybrid system. the China Star line targets 1 million units. On thin mid-tier lineup, An admitted Geely lacks mid-tier hits, with Zeekr at the top and Xingyuan at the bottom, and needs to fill the middle.
Best half-year as premiumisation and globalisation pay off In H1 2026, Geely’s total sales reached 1.423 million units, up 1 per cent. revenue 173.6 billion yuan, up 15 per cent. The revenue growth far outpaced volume, driven by product-mix optimisation. New-energy vehicle sales reached 799,400 units, up 10 per cent, 56.2 per cent of total, above China’s 54.2 per cent NEV penetration. plug-in hybrids rose 57.7 per cent. Fossil-fuel and hybrid sales were 623,500 units, down 8.8 per cent, far below the industry’s 17 per cent drop.
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Editor’s note: This is an adapted translation of the original CheDongXi report. It has been trimmed and restructured for readability for an international business audience.