Geely Closes in on BYD After 47% First-Half Sales Jump

Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. is closing the gap with rival BYD Co. after its first-half sales surged, as billionaire owner Li Shufu pushes to streamline his sprawling auto empire.

Revenue rose 27% to 150.3 billion yuan ($21 billion) in the six months through June, driven by a 47% jump in vehicle deliveries, the Hong Kong-listed arm of Li’s conglomerate said Thursday. That put Geely ahead of Germany’s VW brand as the second-best selling carmaker in China, behind only BYD.