At the end of last year, automotive group Stellantis acquired a significant stake in the Chinese carmaker Leapmotor. As reported by Electrek, Europe will be the first continent where Stellantis launches sales of Chinese electric vehicles. Specifically, it will include the very affordable models – the family model C10 and the compact urban emission-free battery vehicle T03. Soon, Stellantis will be able to offer customers competitively priced and technically focused electric vehicles that will exceed their expectations.
The newly established joint venture is based in Amsterdam, led by former Stellantis China CEO Tianshu Xin as the CEO. The launch of Leapmotor International marks a significant step, aiming to bring affordable electric cars that will compete with existing Chinese brands in key markets worldwide. Stellantis will utilize its existing sales channels starting in September 2024, launching the sale of Chinese electric vehicles in markets such as Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Romania. The group anticipates having at least 200 sales outlets in these markets by the end of the year and more than 500 by 2026.
Part of the investment includes creating a new joint venture, in which Stellantis holds 51%. As stated by Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, after Europe, he would not rule out the USA as another potential market. The CEOs of Leapmotor and Stellantis have released more specific plans on where Leapmotor International will sell electric vehicles made in China within Europe. It is no secret that CEO Carlos Tavares is not a big fan of battery electric vehicles and has long criticized European politicians who see this propulsion as the only future choice. Stellantis retains a fallback option that would allow a quick return to producing vehicles equipped with combustion engines if necessary.
For this reason, electric vehicles produced by Stellantis utilize a shared platform, which, besides purely electric versions, will also offer traditional combustion engines. How the platforms for the mentioned Chinese electric vehicles will be addressed is not yet known.
