Stellantis buys 20% of China’s Leapmotor; get to know the brand

Stellantis is leaving China, but China will not leave the Dutch group so easily, which now owns 20% of the Chinese brand Leapmotor, one of the most famous local manufacturers in recent times.

With a 20% stake, Stellantis now becomes a strategic shareholder of Leapmotor, and this will allow the Chinese brand to gain greater access to the European market.

One of Stellantis’ goals is to leverage Leapmotor’s electric vehicle technology ecosystem in China to meet Dare Forward 2030’s key electrification goals, while remaining open to exploring new synergies with this partner.

The purchase of 20% of Leapmotor, an investment of 1.5 billion euros, guarantees two seats on the Board of Directors of the Chinese company, founded in 2015 in the city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.

Leapmotor has ties to FAW and in 2020 made a stronger entry into the modern electric vehicle market, starting with the S01 sports car, which was discontinued in 2021.

After that, the T03 popularized the brand as a 75-horsepower electric city hatch with 280 km of WLTP range, a car that can cost around R$120,000 here.

Another Leapmotor product is the C11, a five-seat midsize SUV with electric and hybrid versions, the former with 536 horsepower and a range of 550 km.

In “hybrid” use of the 1.2 Turbo engine as a generator, the C11 has a range of 170 km in electric mode, using the engine to power the batteries, and it could even be fueled by ethanol in a possible flex version.

The 5.05 m long Leapmotor C01 is the brand’s flagship sedan with the same architecture, but with a naturally aspirated 1.5 engine and 268 horsepower in an extended-range electric version, and also has an all-electric version with a range of 717 km.

Finally, the C10 is a seven-seater SUV the same size as the C01, thus using the same electrical architecture.

There is no word on Leapmotor’s plans to come to Brazil, but since Stellantis is now a shareholder, it could eventually enter the high-end EV segment, thus competing with BYD and premium brands.

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