Stellantis Starts Assembling Leapmotor SUVs in Spain

Stellantis has officially begun assembling Leapmotor vehicles at its Zaragoza plant in Spain, marking the first time the Chinese brand will be built on European soil. The Leapmotor B10 SUV is the inaugural model to roll off the line and will be offered in two configurations, a fully electric version and a range extended version.

The cars produced in Zaragoza will be distributed immediately through Stellantis's extensive dealer network across Europe, the company said. Stellantis says the arrangement lets the factory make effective use of available capacity while qualifying the B10 under Europe’s stricter "made in Europe" requirements and supporting local industrial employment.

The production is the practical result of an international joint venture in which Stellantis holds a 51 percent stake and has exclusive rights to produce and sell Leapmotor products outside China. The remaining 49 percent is owned by Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology, according to the companies involved.

Stellantis characterises the project as a mutually beneficial use of each partner’s strengths and a way to integrate cross-border technology with European manufacturing capabilities. Zhu Xiangming, founder and chairman of Leapmotor, noted that while the company’s roots are in China, its ambitions are global and localising production in Spain brings its products and technologies closer to European customers.

On the Zaragoza assembly line the B10 will be produced alongside high-volume city cars such as the Opel Corsa, Peugeot 208 and Lancia Ypsilon, underscoring how the joint venture fits within existing plant operations and model mix.