Leapmotor ships first batch of electric vehicles from China to Europe

Leapmotor International, the joint venture business formed by Stellantis and Leapmotor last year, has shipped its first batch of electric vehicles (EVs).

The C10 SUVs and T03 cars are travelling from Shanghai, China, to European ports this month, marking a significant milestone in the partnership.

The cars are destined for nine European countries, with Leapmotor to launch its first cars in the UK in March 2025. 

Two full electric models will be available in the first phase, the C10 mid-size SUV, offering 261 miles of range (WLTP), and the T03 A-sector city car (165 miles WLTP range), with a further four models to follow over the subsequent two-to-three years.

Leapmotor was the fourth largest Chinese new energy vehicle startup in China by sales in June 2024.

“The shipment of Leapmotor C10 and T03 vehicles to Europe this month is a landmark moment in the partnership between Stellantis and Leapmotor,” said Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares.

“This demonstrates our commitment to providing innovative, affordable and sustainable mobility solutions to our customers.

“Relying on Stellantis’ strong business assets in Europe and the hard work of our companies’ teams on guaranteeing product innovation and quality, I strongly believe that Leapmotor’s electric vehicles will be widely accepted by European customers.

“We are excited about the opportunities this partnership brings and look forward to a successful journey together.”

Leapmotor founder, chairman and CEO, Zhu Jiangming, explained that as of the first half of July, it has accumulatively sold more than 400,000 EVs in China since the company’s first sale.

“China is the biggest and most competitive EV market in the world and our products have proved their value by being acclaimed by the local customers,” he continued.

“Since the very beginning, the C10 and T03 models are designed to meet the high standards of global customers and we are confident that the collaboration between Stellantis and Leapmotor will drive significant growth for both companies.”

While UK pricing is yet to be confirmed, the five-star Euro NCAP C10 is priced from £15,000 in China, while the T03 retails for just £5,500.

Leveraging the Stellantis distribution channels, sales points for Leapmotor vehicles in Europe will be increased to 500 by 2026, from 200 at the end of 2024.