Opening Europe's doors wide to a Chinese manufacturer to better resist the massive arrival of ... Chinese manufacturers. Stellantis' alliance with Leapmotor may seem counter-intuitive. On Monday, September 23 in Milan, Europe's second-largest automotive group kicked off a far-reaching collaboration that will enable the Hangzhou-based brand (in eastern China) to market its first two electric models on the Old Continent, thanks to the support of the group headed by Carlos Tavares, who insists he has a vested interest.

Almost a year after signing an agreement that saw Stellantis disburse €1.5 billion to become a 21% shareholder in Leapmotor, the latter is launching the T03, a small urban model priced at €19,500 (€18,900 introductory price), and the C10, a large SUV priced from €36,400. The T03, assembled from components mainly imported from China at the Stellantis plant in Tychy (Poland), could nonetheless escape the additional customs duties imposed by Europe on models made in China, and qualify for the €4,000 bonus awarded by France to the most virtuous electric vehicles, as the manufacturer has submitted an application.

While the verdict, which will be known in the coming weeks, is favorable, the T03, which has a range of 265 kilometers and can accommodate four people, will be particularly competitive against the Dacia Spring (Renault group), its only real rival, which is less technologically advanced and penalized by its production localized in the Middle Kingdom (deprived of bonuses, it is invoiced at €18,900 bonus). The C10, for its part, cannot benefit from any subsidies, but its price already places it at a relatively well-placed tariff level.

Marketed by Leapmotor International, a company whose shareholders are Stellantis (51%) and Leapmotor (49%) and whose purpose is to distribute the Chinese automaker's cars outside China, these two models are the first salvo in an offensive that aims to distribute 500,000 vehicles a year by 2030 (including 400,000 in Europe) by launching "at least one new model a year by 2027." A distribution network has been set up with the support of the Group's brands (Peugeot, Citroën, Fiat, Opel, etc.), which will set up a space in some of their dealerships dedicated to Leapmotor, whose name plays on the English word leap. In France, the brand already boasts around 70 sales outlets and should have 120 by 2025. The aim is to achieve 8,000 registrations in France by 2025, double that number by 2026, and then 30,000.

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