Leapmotor International, a 51/49 partnership between Stellantis and Leapmotor, sent the first shipment of Leapmotor electric vehicles, which included T03 and C10 cars, from Shanghai, China, to ports in Europe. According to sales in 2024, Leapmotor will rank as the fourth-largest new energy vehicle (NEV) startup in China.
Leapmotor and Stellantis are expected to launch the same vehicles in India: the all-electric T03 hatchback and C10 SUV.
“The shipment of Leapmotor C10 and T03 vehicles to Europe this month is a landmark moment in the partnership between Stellantis and Leapmotor,” said Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares. “This demonstrates our commitment to providing innovative, affordable and sustainable mobility solutions to our customers. Relying on Stellantis’ strong business assets in Europe and the hard work of our companies’ teams on guaranteeing product innovation and quality, I strongly believe that Leapmotor’s electric vehicles will be widely accepted by European customers. We are excited about the opportunities this partnership brings and look forward to a successful journey together.”
“As of the first half of July, Leapmotor has accumulatively sold over 400,000 EVs in China since the company’s first sale,” said Leapmotor founder, chairman and CEO Zhu Jiangming. “China is the biggest and most competitive EV market in the world and our products have proved their value by being acclaimed by the local customers. Since the very beginning, the C10 and T03 models are designed to meet the high standards of global customers and we are confident that the collaboration between Stellantis and Leapmotor will drive significant growth for both companies.”
Leveraging the Stellantis distribution channels, the Leapmotor International JV plans to increase sales points for Leapmotor vehicles in Europe to 500 by 2026, from 200 at the end of 2024, to ensure a high level of service for customers. The shipment this month is just the beginning of a long-term collaboration aimed at transforming the landscape of electric mobility in Europe and beyond. There is at least one model planned to go on sale every year in the next three years.
Leapmotor’s C10 and T03 vehicles are equipped with cutting-edge EV technology, offering exceptional performance, efficiency and range. The C10 is Leapmotor’s first global product, built according to global design and safety standards. It is a fully equipped, family-centric D-segment vehicle featuring 420km WLTP range. The Leapmotor T03 is a small five-door, A-segment urban boutique commuter car with B-segment interior space and 265km WLTP range.
Established in 2015, Leapmotor is a technology-driven intelligent electric vehicle (EV) company in China. Its current EV portfolio includes the C16, C10, C11, C01 and T03, offering pure electric and extended range dual power options. In 2023, Stellantis invested in the company. In early May 2024, Stellantis and the company formed a joint venture called Leapmotor International to explore the international market.
In May this year, Stellantis CEO announced that it will enter the Indian market in the fourth quarter of 2024 as part of it’s global expansion strategy. Tavares told Indian media that the company may look at manufacturing of local products in India to overcome high import duties, but the decision is yet to be taken.
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