Leapmotor could produce EVs in Germany
That is what the news agency Reuters reports, citing two people “with knowledge of the matter.” According to the latter, the B10, which was unveiled in October and marks the Chinese carmaker’s third model for the European market, could be manufactured at the Stellantis factory in Eisenach, Germany, which also builds Opel cars.
The alleged reason for that is that, according to Reuters’ sources, the Chinese government asked carmakers to no longer make any significant investments in European production sites in countries that supported the special tariffs on China-made EVs, which came into effect at the end of October. Germany opposed the move, which is why the B10 could be built there.
Leapmotor kicked off production of the T03 Stellantis’ factory in Tychy, Poland, in mid-June, using parts manufactured in China. As neither the carmaker nor China’s Ministry of Commerce have responded to Reuters‘ enquiries, it is not clear whether the production of the T03 could also be moved to another country. The C10, which is also available in Europe, is still manufactured in China. There are plans to move production to Europe, but to what plant is still not known.
However, what is clear is that manufacturing the B10 in Germany will most likely be more expensive than producing it in Poland because of higher utility and labour costs. That might put a damper on Leapmotor International’s plans to “combine cutting-edge technology with affordability,” as Jianshu Xin, CEO of Leapmotor International said when the carmaker presented the B10 at the Paris Motorshow in October.
Last year, Stellantis acquired a 20 per cent stake in Leapmotor to boost its business in China and bring Leapmotor’s electric cars to Europe. They then founded the 51/49 Stellantis-Leapmotor joint venture. Thanks to Stellantis’ sales channels, Leapmotor International plans to have 350 sales outlets in Europe.
Leapmotor International wants to launch at least one model each year between 2025 and 2027. At the end of 2024, the company will foray into the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and South America. According to a previous announcement, it initially eyes Turkey, Israel, and French Overseas in the Middle East and Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, and Malaysia in the Asia-Pacific, and Brazil and Chile in South America. It is reportedly considering launching cars in South Korea as well.
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