Chinese EV maker Leapmotor taps Stellantis’ Spanish plant for EU production

Hangzhou carmaker’s overseas strategy highlights how Chinese brands are leveraging idle plants to scale globally while easing trade barriers The Hangzhou-based company and Stellantis, owner of Peugeot, Fiat and Jeep, would jointly build Opel’s new fully electric C-sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and B10 models at the Figueruelas plant in Zaragoza, according to a statement released by the Franco-Italian carmaker on Friday. Production was expected to start as early as this year, it added. The announcement came less than two months after Leapmotor opened its first overseas research and development hub in Munich, aimed at tailoring models to international customers. The EV maker, 21 per cent owned by Stellantis, set up a joint venture known as Leapmotor International with the European shareholder in 2023 to promote its Chinese-made cars worldwide. The venture, 49 per cent owned by Leapmotor, leverages Stellantis’ global resources to bolster sales. “Leapmotor, after achieving rapid growth on the domestic market, has reason to quicken the pace of its overseas expansion because its tie-up with Stellantis facilitates localisation of production in markets like Europe,” said Gao Shen, an independent analyst in Shanghai.

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