Geely steps up charity in epidemic fight

Auto group mobilizes resources worldwide to help global community in time of need

Chinese conglomerate Geely Holding Group is one of the first companies to have stood up to help in the world’s fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak by leveraging its global resources in a timely and effective way.

When China announced a lockdown on Hubei province on Jan 23 to curb the spread of the epidemic, the company, owner of Volvo and largest shareholder of Daimler, soon took action.

Five days later, the company allocated 200 million yuan ($28.18 million) fund in cooperation with the Li Shufu Charity Foundation, named after Geely founder and chairman Li Shufu, for epidemic control efforts in hard-hit regions across the country.

The company said the money is for purchasing and distributing medical supplies, funding construction of temporary hospitals, helping medical institutions including the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention to develop vaccines and treatments, and to educate the public on good health habits.

“All brands under Geely Holding including Geely Auto, Lynk & Co, Volvo Cars, Polestar, Geometry, Lotus, Farizon Auto, etc will make every effort to work together with the Li Shufu Charity Foundation in fighting the epidemic,” said the conglomerate in a statement.

As of March 26, Geely has spent more than 64 million yuan on medical supplies including masks and ventilators worth 40 million yuan and donated 172 Geely vehicles for people and equipment transportation.

Geely’s ride-hailing company, CaoCao, has been providing around-the-clock mobility services free of charge for residents and medical workers fighting the epidemic in Wuhan, the hardest hit city in China.

The drivers, many of whom are Wuhan locals, volunteered for the job. They now also provide a variety of services such as the delivery of meals, groceries and medicines to residents as well as emergency transport for non-coronavirus related medical emergencies.

Geely has been coordinating its subsidiaries in different countries to take full advantage of its global footprint and logistics network in procuring supplies for epidemic control and prevention.

As the novel coronavirus spread in China, the group asked its subsidiary, Sweden-based China Europe Vehicle Technology AB, to help procure medical supplies for doctors and nurses grappling with the epidemic in the country.

CEVT managed to buy 170,000 masks and 10,000 goggles in Sweden, Germany and Spain, and they had been donated to authorities in Wuhan, Hubei province.

Geely’s team in Belarus has sent to China 37,000 medical gloves, 19,000 masks and 3,773 pieces of protective clothing, which have been donated to hospitals and police officers in Zhejiang province.

Dealers in Nigeria have given a helping hand as well. They bought 520,000 face masks in Lebanon and Jordan, which were shipped on Feb 29 to hard hit regions in China.

As the epidemic subsides in China but rises in some other countries and regions, Geely is mobilizing global resources and rushing to help while urging its subsidiaries to follow local guidelines to protect the safety of their employees and prevent the spread of the virus.

The group has moved quickly to donate to Europe with a first batch of medical supplies worth 2 million yuan to European countries, including Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom expected to arrive next week.

The first batch of medical donations was shipped on March 20 from China to Europe for local hospitals. A second and third phase is being planned by the company.

Volvo Cars in Sweden and Geely Sweden have donated over 12,000 medical masks to local hospitals. Benelli Motorbikes has begun shipping masks from China to affected areas in Italy.

Geely Auto Technical (Deutschland), located near Frankfurt in Germany, is working with local authorities to distribute medical masks and gloves.

In the UK, London Electric Vehicle Company has started an initiative providing drivers nationwide with a three-month finance payment holiday. As a shareholder of Malaysian carmaker Proton, Geely said it will donate testing kits and masks to hospitals and treatment facilities in need in the country.

“As the situation continues to normalize in China, Geely Holding has not forgotten the help it received from friends and families around the world,” said the company.

“The fight against the coronavirus is not one that can be won alone. Together we are strong and together we will be victorious.”