Renault and Geely are expanding their industrial partnership in Brazil with an additional investment of two billion Brazilian Real, equivalent to approximately 319 million euros, according to official announcements. This latest funding brings the total committed capital for their joint operations in the country to 5.8 billion Real (about 899 million euros) since 2025, directed toward manufacturing electrified vehicles and upgrading the Ayrton Senna Industrial Complex in São José dos Pinhais, Paraná.
Industrial Expansion at the Ayrton Senna Complex
The joint manufacturing hub near Curitiba has been retooled to operate as a multi-energy facility, allowing production lines to build internal combustion, hybrid, hybrid-flex, and battery-electric vehicles concurrently. Production of the Geely EX5 EM-i has already commenced at the plant on a contract-manufacturing basis, and the local assembly of the fully electric Geely EX2 is scheduled to start in December, as outlined. Looking ahead to 2027, the facility will also begin manufacturing a new Renault vehicle built on Geely’s Global Intelligent Electric Architecture (GEA), alongside the local production of the Renault E-Tech 4×4 hybrid-flex technology.
Strategic Stakes and Local Market Dynamics
The collaboration comes as automakers navigate Brazil’s protective framework of high import tariffs, which encourages local production given that more than 85 percent of cars sold in the country are built domestically. By partnering with Renault—which has operated in Brazil since 1998—Geely bypasses the need to build independent manufacturing and supply chain structures from scratch. In November 2025, Geely acquired a 26.4 percent stake in Renault do Brasil, while Renault retained majority ownership. The joint venture encompasses shared use of production, logistics, parts supply, and a service network comprising 250 dealers, leading to the local entity operating under the name Renault Geely do Brasil.
Leadership Perspectives on Cost and Efficiency
Renault Group executive François Provost and senior Geely manager Victor Yang attended the plant announcement alongside a large gathering of guests, including regional politicians and journalists. Victor Yang described the industrialization of a completely new vehicle model within a timeframe of ten to eleven months as a “wonder,” highlighting the scope of the shared engineering and supply chain efforts. Fabrice Cambolive, CEO of the Renault brand and chairman of the board of Renault Geely do Brasil, emphasized that the partnership aims to accelerate market entry and drive down costs within Renault’s broader manufacturing strategy.
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