MEMPHIS REISEN

Leapmotor International Ships First Batch Of Its Electric Vehicles From China To Europe – CleanTechnica

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Leapmotor International, a Stellantis-led company (51%/49% between Stellantis and Leapmotor), has shipped the first batch of its electric vehicles, the C10 SUVs and the T03 cars, from Shanghai, China, to European ports. Stellantis says the Leapmotor’s C10 and T03 vehicles are equipped with cutting-edge EV technology, offering exceptional performance, efficiency, and range. The C10 is Leapmotor’s first global product, built according to global design and safety standards.

The C10 is based on Leapmotor’s self-developed LEAP3.0 technology architecture, featuring industry-leading intelligent electric technology, such as central integrated electronic and electrical architecture, cell-to-chassis (CTC) technology, and its flagship intelligent cockpit. It is a fully equipped, family-centric D-segment vehicle with best-in-segment premium ride and handling experience, featuring 420 km WLTP range, and is able to meet the 5-star E-NCAP rating standard. After winning the 2023 International CMF Design Award for its technological and natural aesthetic design, it recently won the 2024 Gold Award from the French Design Awards (FDA) and the 2024 Gold Award from the US MUSE Design Awards.

The Leapmotor T03 is a small 5-door, A-segment urban boutique commuter car with B-segment interior space. It is not only stylish, but also a pleasure to drive, and features 265 km WLTP range. It ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study in the small BEV segment. It’s great to see this small BEV entering the European market. Consumers have been crying for more options in this compact BEV segment.

Leapmotor is the fourth largest Chinese new energy vehicle startup in China by sales in June 2024. “As of the first half of July, Leapmotor has accumulatively sold over 400,000 EVs in China since the company’s first sale,” said Leapmotor Founder, Chairman and CEO Zhu Jiangming. “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. 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.”

“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.”

This is a very exciting development. After having been well received in China and other markets, Leapmotor’s BEVs will now be available in more markets. This got me thinking. Stellantis has a good presence in the Middle East and  Africa. It could leverage this to push these BEVs. It would be great to see these BEVs being made available in Africa, especially the T03. It would be even better if they could be manufactured in Africa in the near future in places such as Morocco or South Africa, for example. Stellantis has a strong footprint in Morocco. Stellantis in Morocco employs 5192 employees, including 3,852 workers at the Kenitra plant and 922 engineers at ATC (Casablanca).

Its production capacity at the Kenitra plant is 200,000 vehicles per year. The plant produces the Peugeot 208 (ICE) and more importantly, a great little BEV under various forms, such as the Citroën Ami, Opel Rocks-e, and Fiat Topolino. Wouldn’t it be great if Stellantis could add the Leapmotor T03 to this production facility? Stellantis is also investing in a production plant in South Africa. Hopefully in the near future, BEV production lines could be part of this as well.

Images courtesy of Leapmotor