Leapmotor Will Be Its First EV Assemble At Stellantis' Polish Factory, Mass Production September

Leapmotor T03. (Doc. Stellantis)

JAKARTA - Leapmotor, an electric vehicle brand from China, has officially partnered with Stellantis to establish a joint venture for Leapmotor International BV. The establishment of this partnership aims to strengthen the manufacturing market globally, especially in Europe.

One month after signing the partnership, Leapmotor is rumored to have started production of electric vehicles taking place at the Tychy factory, Poland.

Quoted from Reuters, Tuesday, June 18, the first unit produced was the T03 model launched at Stellantis' assembly plant and is scheduled to be mass produced in September.

Leapmotor T03 is a small five-door-style 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.

Stellantis chose the Polish factory as the first production base for Leapmotor in Europe because it can save costs. It is said that production costs at the facility are cheaper when compared to in Italy.

After T03, the joint venture plans to produce a second model in Europe called the A12. The model carries the SUV style and the company has prepared the production of its local components.

Meanwhile, Leapmotor also plans to C10 from China and export it to the blue continent as an early stage of this brand navigating the market. It was also mentioned that the SUV could be sold at a higher price.

Since the European Union has set an import duty policy for imported vehicles from China, the manufacturer gets an additional 21 percent tariff because Leapmotor partners with Stellantis as a joint venture.

Please note, according to documents from the European Commission, companies from China that are cooperative or joint ventures get lower rates in the range of 17.4 percent to 21 percent.

In Europe, Leapmotor will utilize Stellantis distribution channels in 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).