CONFIRMED: Leapmotor International announced the Spanish production start and new models in an official release. The Stellantis technology chief’s remarks are REPORTED by Reuters.
Chinese carmaker Leapmotor has started building cars in Europe. In a release from the Paris Motor Show on 12 October, Leapmotor International said production of its all-electric B10 SUV “has officially commenced at its first European manufacturing facility in Zaragoza, Spain” [1]. The plant was “developed in partnership with Stellantis”, the group whose brands include Peugeot, FIAT and Jeep [4], and will make cars for European customers [1].
On the same day, Reuters reported that Stellantis plans to build small electric cars in Italy on a platform it is developing with Leapmotor [2].
Two new models in Paris
B03. Leapmotor showed the B03 urban hatchback in Europe for the first time. According to the company, it has “up to 390 km WLTP range” (WLTP is a standardised laboratory test cycle, so it is a test figure rather than a guaranteed real-world range), and supports “2.5C fast charging”, allowing a 10-to-80% recharge “in just 21 minutes” [1]. “2.5C” means the battery can take charge at roughly 2.5 times its own capacity per hour. The motor delivers “up to 145 kW” (roughly 194 horsepower by TSN’s conversion, 145 ÷ 0.7457), the software is Leap OS 4.0 Plus, and the car has “21 advanced driver assistance systems” [1]. Leapmotor did not give a price or a sales date.
D19. Leapmotor also displayed the D19, a six- or seven-seat flagship SUV powered by what it calls “Super REEV technology” [1].
REEV stands for range-extended electric vehicle. The wheels are always driven by electric motors, but the car also carries a small petrol engine that never drives the wheels. Its only job is to work as a generator, recharging the battery when it runs low. That lets the car cover long trips without stopping to plug in, while driving like an EV most of the time. A normal plug-in hybrid is different: its engine can drive the wheels directly. Leapmotor did not publish the D19’s range or price.
Why a Chinese carmaker building in Spain matters
Since 30 October 2024 the EU has charged countervailing duties, for a period of five years, on imports of battery electric cars from China, after the European Commission concluded that the Chinese EV value chain “benefits from unfair government subsidies” [5][6]. The duties apply to imports of cars originating in China [6]; a car built in an EU factory is not such an import.
Leapmotor’s release does not mention tariffs. It frames Zaragoza as “a true local-for-local approach” [1]. China and the EU are still negotiating over car trade: China’s commerce ministry said today that a separate hybrid car deal allows exports to grow from 2025 levels (see TSN’s report below).
In October 2023 Stellantis announced a roughly €1.5 billion investment for “approximately 21% equity” in Leapmotor. Leapmotor International, the company selling Leapmotor cars in Europe, is “a 51/49 Stellantis-led joint venture” with rights to export, sell and manufacture Leapmotor products outside Greater China [4]. Those are the figures Stellantis gave in May 2024; the current stake was not restated in today’s release. Leapmotor customers in Europe get access to Stellantis’ Free2move Charge network, which the release says covers “more than one million public charging points” [1].
Stellantis: learning to go faster
According to Reuters, Stellantis chief technology officer Ned Curic said on Monday that the company plans to build small electric vehicles in Pomigliano, Italy, based on the e-car platform being developed together with Leapmotor in Mirafiori [2]. Reuters reported that Curic said Stellantis “is learning from Leapmotor to go faster” and has learned to build a new car in two years [2]. Reuters gave these as paraphrase, not direct quotes.
The plan builds on Stellantis’ “E-Car” project, announced on 19 May: a small, affordable European electric car, with “Production of E-Car planned to start in 2028” at Pomigliano [3]. The May release did not mention Leapmotor. Curic’s link between the E-Car platform and Leapmotor comes from Reuters’ report.
What is not known
- B03 and D19 prices, and when they go on sale in Europe.
- How many B10s Zaragoza will build.
- Which Stellantis brands will get the Pomigliano small EVs, and how much of the platform is Leapmotor technology. Stellantis has not set this out in writing.
Sources
- Leapmotor International, “Leapmotor Accelerates European Growth at the 2026 Paris Motor Show with New Products, Advanced Technology and Local Production”, Stellantis Media, 12 October 2026. https://www.media.stellantis.com/em-en/leapmotor/press/leapmotor-accelerates-european-growth-at-the-2026-paris-motor-show-with-new-products-advanced-technology-and-local-production
- Reuters, “Stellantis to build small electric vehicles with Leapmotor”, via MarketScreener, 12 October 2026, 09:15 BST. https://uk.marketscreener.com/news/stellantis-to-build-small-electric-vehicles-with-leapmotor-ce785ddcde8ff621
- Stellantis, “Stellantis Announces E-Car Project”, 19 May 2026. https://www.stellantis.com/content/dam/stellantis-corporate/news/press-releases/2026/may/19-05-2026/en/EN-20260519-Stellantis-Announces-E-Car-Project.pdf
- Stellantis, “Leapmotor International Begins Operations to Expand Global Electric Vehicle Sales Starting September 2024…”, 14 May 2024. https://www.stellantis.com/en/news/press-releases/2024/may/leapmotor-international-begins-operations-to-expand-global-electric-vehicle-sales-starting-september-2024-in-nine-european-countries-followed-by-other-key-growth-regions
- European Commission, “EU imposes duties on unfairly subsidised electric vehicles from China while discussions on price undertakings continue”, 29 October 2024 (Commission Representation page). https://cyprus.representation.ec.europa.eu/news/eu-imposes-duties-unfairly-subsidised-electric-vehicles-china-while-discussions-price-undertakings-2024-10-30_en
- European Commission, Access2Markets, “EU Commission imposes countervailing duties on imports of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from China” (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2754, applicable as of 30 October 2024). https://trade.ec.europa.eu/access-to-markets/en/news/eu-commission-imposes-countervailing-duties-imports-battery-electric-vehicles-bevs-china
