Leapmotor finalizes the details of a new model that it will manufacture in Europe with Stellantis

While Europe has started a trade war with China, brands have a very different idea of ​​how international alliances should be treated. Brussels fears the arrival of Chinese electric cars and has therefore imposed new special taxes on their imports. Although both markets are negotiating a truce, brands are not stopping their activity. At the beginning of the year, Stellantis and Leapmotor sealed a large, multi-million-dollar agreement that will allow the Chinese to be present on the Old Continent. The agenda is bold and They are already working on a new model that will arrive next year.

After spending 1.5 billion euros, the conglomerate led by Carlos Tavares has acquired the rights to exploit the Leapmotor brand in Europe. That means that Stellantis will be in charge of managing sales of the Chinese models in the region. Although its presence is currently minuscule, everything is ready for a big start. By the middle of next year they expect to have more than 300 points of sale. spread across the continent, which should mean significant reach and a considerable improvement for Stellantis’ electrical market share.

European manufacturing for an electric SUV rival to the KIA EV3

Tavares wants to start the offensive from the bottom. The Leapmotor T03 will be the company’s first model available in Europe. It will be cheap, very cheap, and, more importantly, it will bypass the new tariff policies set by the European Union by being manufactured in Poland. For now there is not much information on this, there are still many details to be polished, but if everything goes as it should, the T03 will begin to be available throughout Europe at the end of this year. The first of the seven electric models that Leapmotor proposes for Europe before the end of 2027. It will have 280 kilometers of autonomy and its sales price will be less than 20,000 euros.

The next to make an appearance will be the Leapmotor C10. Complete third change. We went from a utility vehicle to a very complete and mechanically much more competent D-segment SUV. It will be on sale at the beginning of next year with different mechanical configurations capable of homologating between 410 and 530 kilometers of autonomy (CLTC cycle). Its great attraction is expected to be the price. In China it is on sale for less than 20,000 euros at the exchange ratealthough this figure will increase significantly for Europe. Estimates point to an approximate cost of 35,000 euros before subsidies or discounts.

The third model is now being released from China. Will be called Leapmotor A12 and it is already being developed. The information is still very scarce. Everything suggests that it will be the entry-level SUV to the range, located in the compact segment and a rival to models such as the KIA EV3. It will be economical and, like the T03, It will skip European sanctions by being manufactured in the Stellantis factory in Poland. The official presentation will take place later this year at the Guangzhou Motor Show. The assembly line will start in February 2025, arriving at dealerships a few weeks later. Its official price could be around 25 or 30 thousand euros.