Geely Italy sales target rises to 6,500 in 2026

Marco Santucci, Geely’s managing director in Italy, said the company has gone from “startup” status to consumer trust in just one year. The group already has 70 dealerships in the country and wants 100 within the next year, while registrations are running at about 3,000 this year. The new target for 2026 implies growth of more than 100% and suggests Geely expects a fuller lineup and fleet orders to do much of the heavy lifting.

The expansion comes as Geely uses Italy as part of a broader European strategy built around industrial and brand assets rather than just imports. Milan’s design center underscores the country’s role in styling and product development, while the company’s European footprint also includes Volvo, Lotus, Lynk & Co and Smart, plus stakes in Mercedes-Benz and Aston Martin. An agreement with Ford is set to give Geely a manufacturing base in Spain, strengthening its supply-chain and tariff resilience in Europe.

The product push is central to the plan. Geely is debuting the E2 compact EV in Turin, with more than 340 kilometers of range, while the KO11 off-road model broadens the lineup beyond city cars. The premium-facing Zeekr brand, launched in Italy this summer, is being positioned as an alternative for buyers priced out of traditional German D-segment and E-segment models as list prices rise across the market.

Investors will read the campaign as evidence that Geely is still leaning on Europe for growth even as China remains the core volume engine. The group sold about 1.5 million vehicles in the first half of the year, with revenue up 15%, and the Italian rollout suggests management sees room to convert brand recognition into sales density and pricing power.

Geely’s U.S.-listed shares have been volatile, with the stock slipping to $2.06 on Sept. 11 from $2.64 in late July, while the Hong Kong listing closed at HK$41.16 after trading as high as HK$61.75 in April. The move comes as broader risk appetite remains weak, with Adalytica’s S&P 500 trade signals showing “Extreme Fear,” a backdrop that can make investors more selective about growth stories that depend on consumer spending and execution.

The key near-term catalysts are whether Geely can keep dealership expansion on schedule, convert the E2 launch into registrations from November or December, and secure the fleet orders it expects. If those pieces fall into place, Italy could become one of Geely’s clearest European growth engines; if not, the 6,500 target will look more like a stretch goal than a breakthrough.