From a 2015 Hangzhou founding to a 1.5 billion euro Stellantis deal, with the cars carrying Leapmotor from China to Europe, Australia and Latin America.
Leapmotor is a Chinese EV maker from Hangzhou that started in 2015. Stellantis took 20 per cent for 1.5 billion euros in October 2023, and a joint venture now sells the T03, C10 and B10 outside China through Stellantis dealers, with Spanish production planned.
Stellantis paid 1.5 billion euros in October 2023 for 20 per cent of a Chinese company that had delivered its first car only four years earlier. That company is Leapmotor, a Hangzhou electric-vehicle maker founded in 2015, and the deal turned it into a brand sold through European dealers.
Leapmotor is worth understanding because it shows how a young Chinese carmaker can reach Europe, Australia and Latin America by borrowing a Western partner's showrooms and factories. The C10 and B10 crossovers and the T03 city car are the models carrying that effort.
Who is Leapmotor?
Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology Co., Ltd. was set up in December 2015 by Dahua Technology together with Fu Liquan, its controlling shareholder, and the director Zhu Jiangming. Fu and Zhu are both co-founders of Dahua. The Leapmotor brand was launched officially in March 2017, and the company sold its first vehicles in 2019.
The first product was the S01, a two-door electric coupe. A prototype appeared at the 2017 Guangzhou Auto Show, by which time the firm had raised RMB 380 million and begun building its factory. The first deliveries followed in June 2019. In October 2018 the company set out plans for three models across 2018 to 2021, the S01, the T03 and the C11, each to sit on its own platform.
Leapmotor also decided early to do a lot itself. It developed an AI chip, Lingxin 01, with Dahua, which entered integration verification at CES Asia on 13 June 2018 and was aimed at autonomous driving. It builds its own traction motors, vehicle computer and LED lighting. As of 2026 it invests in more than 50 companies that research, develop and make parts, and 65 per cent of its components now come from within the group, with an 80 per cent target.
A young Chinese carmaker can reach Europe by borrowing a Western partner's showrooms and factories.
What are the Leapmotor T03 and C11?
The T03 was the second mass-production model, an electric city car launched on 11 May 2020 in three versions. After subsidy it cost 65,800 to 75,800 yuan, roughly US$9,280 to US$10,691. A 36.5 kWh battery gave a 403 km (250 mi) range on the NEDC cycle. Later it became the car that opened Europe, together with the C10.
The C11, launched in November 2020, was the third. This electric crossover grew from the 2019 C-More concept, used two motors with a combined 400 kW (536 hp) and 720 N m, and offered around 600 km (373 mi) of range.
Why did Stellantis buy into Leapmotor?
The agreement of October 2023 gave Stellantis its 20 per cent for 1.5 billion euros and created Leapmotor International, a joint venture owned 51 per cent by Stellantis and 49 per cent by Leapmotor. Its job is to handle distribution and production outside China, with Europe at the centre of the plan.
The timetable that followed was ambitious. From September 2024 the cars were to be sold through Stellantis dealers in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Romania, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany and further markets. From the fourth quarter of 2024 the venture would enter India, the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, Africa and South America. Six new models were promised starting in 2025, with the T03 and C10 first, and at least one new model every year for the next three years.
Factories have been less tidy. In February 2024 Reuters reported that Stellantis was looking at building a Leapmotor model at Mirafiori in Turin. T03 production began at Tychy in Poland in June 2024, but when Poland voted with the EU on tariffs on Chinese-made EVs in November, that output was already in doubt, and it ended in March 2025. A plan to build the B10 in Poland was cancelled and production was shifted towards Slovakia and Germany.
Spain is now where much of the story lies. In October 2025 it was reported that Stellantis would sell a rebadged B10 under the Opel name in Europe, and by January 2026 the B10 was set to be built in one of its Spanish plants. In May 2026 the two companies announced an Opel SUV based on the B10 for the Figueruelas plant in Zaragoza, and Stellantis plans to pass ownership of Madrid's Villaverde plant to Leapmotor International's Spanish arm. Leapmotor's range-extender technology is also being considered for Stellantis vehicles in Europe, while European Leapmotor models could use existing Stellantis platforms.
How does FAW fit into the picture?
Stellantis is not the only large partner. Leapmotor and the state-owned FAW signed a strategic partnership in May 2020 covering intelligent electric vehicles and their core parts. In March 2025 they signed a memorandum on cooperation, and in April of that year, at Auto Shanghai, chairman Zhu Jiangming said the pair would develop a model for the Hongqi brand aimed at overseas markets. Production is planned for the second half of 2026 in Hangzhou, on the B10 platform, in both battery-electric and range-extender form.
In December 2025 Leapmotor announced that FAW would buy 5 per cent for 3.744 billion yuan. The shares held by Zhu and other shareholders, the largest group, would fall from 23.75 to 22.56 per cent, and Stellantis' stake would go from 19.99 to 18.99 per cent. Half of the money is earmarked for research and development, a quarter for working capital and a quarter for the sales network and brand awareness.
Leapmotor C10: the first car built for the world
The Leapmotor C10 is a mid-size crossover and the first of the company's cars designed for global markets. It was shown at the 2023 Munich Motor Show, went on sale in China in March 2024, and began selling in nine European markets in September 2024. Unlike the T03, it is imported to Europe rather than built there, which means a 21 per cent import tax.
Inside there is a 10.25-inch digital instrument display, a 14.6-inch central screen, a 12-speaker sound system and a 2.1 m2 panoramic sunroof. The boot holds 435 L, rising to 1,410 L with the rear seats folded, and Leapmotor says the cabin will take a 1.8 m by 1.2 m double bed with the seats flat.
Buyers can pick a battery-electric version or a range extender. The range-extended car pairs a 1.5-litre petrol engine from Seres with a 28 kWh battery for 140 km of CLTC electric range. The electric C10 uses a 52.9 or 69.9 kWh battery, with CLTC ratings of 410 and 530 km. In Europe it launched with the 69.9 kWh battery and a 218 PS (160 kW; 215 hp) motor, good for 420 km on the WLTP cycle. A 6.6 kW onboard charger takes it from 30 to 80 per cent in 6.1 hours on AC, or in 30 minutes on a fast DC charger.
The range-extended C10 reached Europe at the Brussels Motor Show in January 2025, claiming 950 km on WLTP, and an all-wheel-drive car with 446 kW (598 hp; 606 PS) and an 81.9 kWh battery followed at Auto Zurich 2025, recharging from 30 to 80 per cent in 22 minutes. Germany alone gets the i C10, developed with the Opel tuner Irmscher, with firmer suspension and a range of 438 km. The C10 received a facelift on 4 June 2026.
Where is the Leapmotor C10 on sale?
It began its overseas life quickly. South Africa was first on 15 October 2024, then Malaysia on 16 October and Australia on 23 October, with Australian deliveries starting in November. New Zealand followed on 20 November and Thailand on 28 November 2024, and Singapore got it on 30 October 2025 through the distributor Cycle & Carriage. Australia and New Zealand added the range-extended version in March 2025, the latter calling it the Ultra Hybrid. In July 2026 the C10 became the first Leapmotor to be assembled at the Stellantis plant in Gurun, Kedah, in Malaysia.
Leapmotor B10: the compact crossover
The B10 is a compact battery-electric crossover, on sale since 2025 and the first car in the C-series range to use the LEAP 3.5 platform. It debuted internationally at the Paris Motor Show in October 2024 and in China at Auto Guangzhou a month later. Pre-sales began on 10 March 2025 and deliveries on 10 April. It reached Europe in late 2025.
Demand was strong. The B10 took 15,010 orders in the first hour of pre-sales, 73 per cent of them for versions with lidar, and 10,016 firm orders in the first hour after launch.
The design follows the company's Gravity Field language, with split headlights, three-strip daytime lights, pop-out door handles and 18-inch alloy wheels. The dashboard has no glovebox, offering a relief shelf with holes for accessories in its place. A 14.6-inch touchscreen runs Leapmotor OS 4.0 Plus, supports Apple CarPlay and Huawei HiCar, and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip. Its voice assistant uses the Deepseek and Tongyi Qianwen AI models. Cargo space is 420 L plus a 95 L compartment under the floor, growing to 1,415 L with the second row folded.
Top trims add a Hesai lidar sensor with 128 lines, three radars and two front cameras of 8 MP. The base model strips things back with steel wheels, manual seats, a six-speaker audio system and a weaker motor.
| Model | Body | Debut | Powertrains | Battery | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T03 | City car | May 2020 | Electric | 36.5 kWh | 403 km NEDC |
| C10 | Mid-size crossover | Munich Motor Show 2023 | Electric, range extender, AWD | 52.9, 69.9 or 81.9 kWh; 28 kWh (EREV) | 420 km WLTP (electric); 950 km WLTP (EREV) |
| B10 | Compact crossover | Paris Motor Show 2024 | Electric, range extender | 56.2, 60.8, 67.1 or 69.7 kWh | 510 to 610 km CLTC |
What changed in the 2026 Leapmotor B10?
The updated B10, marketed as the 2027 model year, reached China on 16 July 2026. Inside it gets a 50-inch augmented-reality head-up display and a 17.3-inch screen, both driven by a Snapdragon 8295P chip, as well as front seats with a zero-gravity reclining mode and a massage function. The slotted dashboard shelf has gone in favour of a conventional one, and a rear wiper and rain sensor arrived.
The smaller battery is now 60.8 kWh and is good for 540 km on the CLTC cycle with a 180 kW (241 hp) motor. The larger 69.7 kWh pack is rated at 610 km, with a 185 kW (248 hp) motor and 800-volt electronics, and Leapmotor says it charges from 30 to 80 per cent in 16 minutes. The original cars used 400-volt systems, a 132 kW base motor, or a 160 kW motor with 56.2 or 67.1 kWh packs, and a claimed 20-minute or lower charge.
Where can you buy the B10?
Europe received it in September 2025, in Life and Design trims with a 56.2 or 67.1 kWh battery. Singapore had it on 15 September 2025, Thailand on 10 October, New Zealand on 13 November and Malaysia on 10 December. Australia went on sale on 1 October 2025 with Style and Design Long Range versions, and at introduction it was the cheapest battery-electric car sold in the country. Later came a range-extended Hybrid in June 2026.
The B10 launched in Mexico on 22 June 2026 as a range-extended model with an 18.8 kWh battery, and in South Africa on 18 August 2026. Argentina joined in June 2026, with the B10 priced at US$31,990 and a range of over 900 km, sold through 12 dealerships and 20 e-Expert Centers backed by Stellantis. Malaysia began local assembly in Gurun in September 2026.
Where this goes next
Some of what lies ahead comes from company announcements. On 16 September 2026 Leapmotor announced its first plug-in hybrid system, called Multi-Mode Intelligent (MM-i) Hybrid Electric Drive, a notable step since it has historically offered range extenders. Dual coaxial electromagnetic clutches let the generator motor drive the wheels with the engine off. Leapmotor claims 28 per cent more peak power at 206 kW (276 bhp), 40 per cent less weight at 106 kg (234 lb), 25 per cent less length at 313 mm and a peak efficiency of 94.4 per cent.
The Leap 5.0 Architecture goes into production in 2027. It replaces the 12-volt network with a 48-volt DC system drawing from the main battery, cuts the wiring harness from an industry average of 1,500 metres to under 500, and frees up 700 mm of extra cabin space. The Hongqi model is planned for the second half of 2026, and Leapmotor aims to raise the share of in-house parts from 65 to 80 per cent.
