On Thursday 6 August, I headed to Battersea Power Station for the official UK launch of the new Geely EX2, hosted by Geely Auto UK in partnership with TikTok.

The event took place at JOIA Rooftop at art’otel London Battersea Power Station, with some pretty spectacular views across London and one of the capital’s most recognisable landmarks providing the backdrop.

It was a brilliant setting for what felt much more like a social event than a traditional automotive launch.

Geely × TikTok

The partnership with TikTok gave the evening a very different atmosphere to the usual car launch.

There was music, drinks, entertainment and plenty of opportunity to spend time with the EX2, alongside a mix of people from the automotive, lifestyle and creator worlds.

It was so cool to see Olympian Matt Whitlock (although I was too shy to ask for a selfie) and catch up with instagrammers Davide Anica and Kit Innes during the evening.

There was also a miniature tabletop racing challenge involving tiny Geely EX2s. I would like to say that years of driving cars gave me some sort of competitive advantage. It didn’t. Kit was considerably better at racing his around the track than I was.

Clearly I need more practice before the next launch.

My first look at the Geely EX2

Of course, the main reason we were all there was the car. The EX2 is Geely’s latest model for the UK and sits at the more affordable end of the electric car market, with prices starting from £20,990.

And there are certainly some interesting highlights.

It has a surprisingly spacious five-seat interior, plenty of storage, a 70-litre front boot or ‘frunk’, a large central touchscreen and up to 214 miles of WLTP range, depending on specification.

For a relatively compact electric car, it appears to pack quite a lot in.

I also managed to get behind the wheel for a short drive around London.

Central London is hardly the place to properly assess a car, so I’m saving my detailed thoughts for another day. However, the EX2 certainly felt well suited to the environment it had been launched in.

One feature that immediately stood out was its impressively tight turning circle, which made navigating London streets particularly easy.

Beyond that, I’m deliberately holding back.

The proper review is coming

The good news is that my time with the Geely EX2 isn’t ending with one short drive around Battersea.

Geely Auto UK has agreed to lend me an EX2 for a much more thorough test, which means I’ll be able to spend some proper time with the car away from central London.

That is when I’ll be looking at things like real-world range, efficiency, charging, comfort, practicality, technology and what it is actually like to live with day to day.

And, ultimately, whether this relatively affordable little EV is genuinely worth considering.

UK leasing prices aren’t available yet either, but they should start appearing soon. Given the EX2’s starting price, I’ll be particularly interested to see where the monthly leasing figures land. For now, though, first impressions are positive.

Huge thanks to Geely Auto UK and TikTok for inviting me along to the official UK launch.

A brilliant location, a really enjoyable evening and a great opportunity to get an early look at one of the more interesting affordable EVs joining the UK market.

Now I just need another go at that tabletop race.