Who is Leapmotor and how does it benefit Stellantis?

The marketing of Leapmotor T03 and C10, the first models for Europe of the Chinese brand controlled by Stellantis, begins in the UK

Photo by: Motor1 Italy

By: Massimo Grassi

Sep 28, 2024 at 5:26am ET

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China is scary for the Western automotive world, but it also represents great opportunities and not only commercial ones. In fact, the People's Republic has churned out and continues to churn out brands of all kinds, ready to have their say in a market undergoing one of the biggest revolutions in its history.

It is therefore not surprising that Stellantis in 2023 decided to invest €1.5 billion in Leapmotor, one of the most popular Chinese start-ups of recent times. Thus the joint venture Leapmotor International was born, which holds the exclusive rights to export, sell and manufacture Leapmotor products outside the Chinese region. But that's not all: with the entry of the eastern brand into the shareholding structure, the Group led by Carlos Tavares is securing technologies that are fundamental for facing the challenges of tomorrow.

Leapmotor: what it does

Let's start by getting familiar with the term NEV, which stands for New Energy Vehicle. Electric of course, but not necessarily alone. In fact, NEVs are a rich and varied world that includes electric cars, plug-in hybrids (or rather electric cars with extended range via range extender combustion engines) and hydrogen cars. Powertrains that do not favour a single technology, leaving many doors open.

Leapmotor has based its credo on NEVs: in 2022 it sold 111,000 of them in China, making it the leading specialist manufacturer in the People's Republic market. An achievement achieved in just eight years.

Leapmotor C10 at the Munich Motor Show 2023

While electric power remains at the centre, various solutions gravitate around it, especially that of the range extender, i.e. the use of small combustion engines not coupled to the wheels, but used to recharge the batteries to increase range. The range extender powertrain, which is also adopted by other manufacturers (e.g. Mazda with the MX-30), is based on the proprietary platform called 3.0 and debuted at the Monaco Motor Show 2023 in the Leapmotor C10, available only as a pure electric vehicle or EREV (Extended-Range Electric Vehicles) systems.

It is precisely here that one of the great advantages for Stellantis lies: being in a position to exploit a tried and tested mechanical system, ready to give life to two other versatile and scalable platforms. Because if, on the one hand, with the STLA family (the STLA-medium has just made its debut on the new Peugeot 3008), the group formed by the merger of PSA and FCA has the basis for the development of numerous models - even low-cost ones thanks to dedicated platforms used for the new Citroën C3 and the Fiat Grande Panda. On the other, why not take advantage of ready-made technologies whose costs can be shared? "The electric transition will be a huge battle, and we want to fight it under the best conditions, and this operation goes in that direction," commented Carlos Tavares.

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Fiat Grande Panda

Citroen C3

Hardware and software

Leapmotor did not start out as a brand specialising in cars, however. Since its foundation in 2015, the Chinese startup has in fact focused on artificial intelligence, another major theme for the future of mobility, and the Achilles' heel for many manufacturers around the world. The focus of the development of new models is in fact shifting - and by a lot - to software, and traditional manufacturers are not always successful in developing new systems.

We are not just talking about infotainment, but complex programmes for powertrain management, advanced driver assistants and much more. Leapmotor has been working on this from the start, and thanks to agreements with Nvidia and Qualcomm has acquired skills and knowledge of great relevance, which a colossus like Stellantis can only benefit from.

Carlos Tavares, Stellantis CEO and Zhu Jiangming, founder and CEO of Leapmotor

Market opportunities

Last but not least is the question of sales and opening up new markets. "Stellantis cannot be absent from the world's leading market in the medium term, but we are approaching that market in an unconventional way. Leapmotor will be one of the most successful manufacturers in the future, and will bring profitable growth,' Tavares explained at the signing with Leapmotor in 2023.

The Chinese market cannot be left aside and after the closure of the partnership with Gac and the downsizing of its partnership with Dongfeng, Stellantis needed a new partner in the eastern giant.

Naturally, the benefits are also for the European market. While numerous Chinese brands are organising to open factories in Europe to avoid duties, Leapmotor already has one foot in the Old Continent thanks to Stellantis. The T03 is in fact assembled in the Polish factory in Tychy (former home of the Fiat 500), making it to all intents and purposes a European model that will therefore not have to deal with the increasingly likely extra taxation.

The Leapmotor range at the Munich Motor Show 2023

Leapmotor models

At the heart of it all, however, remain the cars, with a range that in China has five models, two of which have just landed in Europe, ready for marketing. These are the Leapmotor T03 and C10, a city car and a medium SUV, available with electric powertrains only.

Leapmotor T03

The Chinese manufacturer's smallest car - 3.62 metres long - is the digital face of the Fiat Panda (with which it shares nothing), compared to which it is just 6 centimetres shorter. A model for the city with rounded, regular shapes that does not lack the right amount of technology. Digital instrumentation, a 10.1-inch central monitor and Level 2 driver assistance systems are part of the standard equipment.

Leapmotor T03

Leapmotor

Leapmotor T03, the interior

The powertrain of the Leapmotor T03 consists of a 95 PS front-mounted electric motor and a 37.3 kWh lithium-ion battery, for a range of 165 miles according to the WLTP cycle and 245 miles if only urban roads are used.

The price is interesting: the Leapmotor T03 costs £15,995. A price list that will not be shaken by duties: as mentioned, in fact, the versions for Europe are assembled in the Stellantis plant in Tychy (Poland), where the Fiat 500 was produced.

Leapmotor C10

A medium SUV (4.73 metres long) in the segment of smart #5, Ford Mustang Mach-E and Tesla Model Y, just to stay on electric models. The Leapmotor C10 represents the Chinese manufacturer's flagship for Europe, characterised by its sinuous shapes and the presence of the front lidar placed on top of the roof.

Leapmotor C10

Leapmotor

Leapmotor C10, the interior

The exterior dimensions allow for an interior with good space, even if the boot does not have record values: from 435 to 1,410 litres. There is of course no shortage of technology, with 10.25-inch digital instrumentation and a 14.6-inch central monitor. The suite of Level 2 driver assistance systems is also rich.

The Leapmotor C10 is available in the UK with a single electric powertrain comprising a 218 PS rear motor and 69.9 kWh battery pack, giving a range of 261 miles according to the WLTP cycle.

Prices for the Leapmotor C10 start at £36,500.