Geely Auto, one of the top three auto makers in China, has more good news. They have plans to privatize their luxury electric vehicle (EV) division, Zeekr. The announcement happens amid an uptick in trade conflict between the U.S. and China. Geely today owns a 65.7% share of Zeekr via its founder, Li Shufu. The merger gives Zeekr a post-money valuation of about $6.5 billion. Geely’s bid stands at $25.66 per American Depository Receipt (ADS), representing a premium of nearly 14% over Zeekr’s US-listed shares’ closing price on Monday.
With its creative keyless strategies, Zeekr is taking electric vehicles to extreme limits. The company is actively collaborating with Waymo to develop a purpose-built robotaxi, with the goal of launching one at scale in the U.S. For both businesses, this partnership is an important step forward. Waymo is going to bring its state-of-the-art self-driving technology into Zeekr vehicles. Waymo will merge in at its new Arizona manufacturing plant later this fall. Notably, this move positions them as leaders to show their continuous commitment to innovation and progress in the rapidly emerging sector of autonomous driving.
To finalize the acquisition, Geely will have to spend about $2.2 billion assuming full dilution to buy the outstanding shares of Zeekr. This latest development is a strong show of faith by Geely into the growth perspective of Zeekr and its positioning in the fast-changing EV space. For now, the future seems rosy for Zeekr. It still hasn’t published its 2025-Q1 results, leaving a bit of a mystery about its recent performance.
Zeekr made its public market debut on the New York Stock Exchange just one year ago. Since then, it has taken the automotive world by storm. The company stated that it produced 125,250 vehicles in the first four months of 2025. These new EVs were distributed among its two brands—Zeekr and Lynk & Co. This achievement highlights Zeekr’s ability to capture market interest and reinforces Geely’s commitment to expanding its presence in the EV sector.
Yet, with the backdrop of U.S.-China trade tensions simmering, such an acquisition undertaking is fraught with complexity. The Trump administration previously explored measures to restrict Chinese companies from operating on American stock exchanges, which could influence foreign investments and partnerships. So Geely’s recent choice to take Zeekr private could simply be a strategic response to these challenges, providing more operational greenfield.
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