Stellantis Begins European Imports of Chinese-Made BEVs

Stellantis’ joint venture, Leapmotor International, lands its first shipment of Chinese-made battery-electric vehicles in European ports.

The company, owned in a 51/49% split between the automaker group and China’s Leapmotor, is importing two of its entry-level D- and A-segment A BEV models.

The imports come despite proposed European Union punitive tariffs on Chinese-made vehicles. Yet, Leapmotor’s C10 and T03 models are unlikely to suffer in European markets because they will probably still greatly undercut existing more premium BEVs available to consumers despite a tariff totaling around 27.7%.

It’s also possible the imports are just a holding exercise by Stellantis to get product into its dealership network ahead of plans to sidestep tariffs by assembling the vehicles at its plant in Poland.

The D-segment Leapmotor C10 is its first global product, built according to global design and safety standards. The C10 is based on its self-developed Leap3.0 technology architecture, featuring central integrated electronic and electrical architecture, cell-to-chassis (CTC) technology and its flagship intelligent cockpit. It claims a range of 260 miles (419 km) on the European WLTP rating plus 5-star E-NCAP safety standards.

The A-segment Leapmotor T03 is a small 5-door urban commuter car claiming B-segment interior space. It features a claimed maximum range of 165 miles (266 km) on the WLTP rating. It ranks No.1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study in the small BEV segment.

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