Chinese Car Manufacturer Leapmotor Collaborates With Stellantis To Surf Europe

Leapmotor C10. (Doc. Stellantis)

JAKARTA - Leapmotor, an automotive brand from China has officially expanded its global market in Europe by establishing a joint venture with Stellantis, named Leapmotor International BV.

Headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, the company will be led by Tianshu Xin, who serves as CEO. Not only that, the manufacturer also introduced T03 and C10 as its first two models on the blue continent.

Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said the establishment of this joint venture was a concrete step for his party in providing various models of Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) and competing with a number of brands from China in major markets around the world, such as BYD, Chery, and Great Wall Motor (GWM).

"Utilizing our presence in the global market, we will soon be able to offer our customers competitive and technology-centric electric vehicle prices that will exceed their expectations," Tavares said on the company's website, Wednesday, May 15.

The company will utilize Stellantis distribution channels and launches in Europe consisting of France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Greece, and Romania.

Starting in September 2024, the company will set up 200 sales points by the end of this year and upgrade to 500 in 2026.

Meanwhile, the launch of products from Leapmotor will be expanded to a number of areas, including Turkey and Israel, as well as Africa and the Middle East. Then, Leapmotor will also target the markets of Indian countries, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Chile, and the Asia Pacific region (Thailand and Malaysia).

The partnership between Leapmotor and Stellantis shows a high level of efficiency, opening a new chapter in the global integration of China's smart electric vehicle industry, said Founder and Chairman of Leapmotor Jiangming Zhu.

Leapmotor C10 is the first product to be offered in the global market. Built on the LEAP3.0 platform, the car is included in the D-segment class which is oriented to family vehicles. This car has a battery that can run with a range of 420 km according to the WLTP and has a five-star safety title from Euro NCAP.

Meanwhile, Leapmotor T03 is a small five-door car that enters the B-segment class. Carry a stylish style, this car has a battery that can provide a range of 265 km according to WLTP calculations.