Stellantis and Leapmotor: How much of China will be in European cars going forward?
There are collaborations that appear impressive mainly on paper. And then there are those where it eventually becomes unclear where one partner ends and the other begins. Stellantis and Leapmotor are increasingly moving in the latter direction.
What started as a stakeholding and international distribution partnership has now extended deeply into production and development. Leapmotor has the B10 manufactured at Stellantis’ plant in Saragossa, Spain. Stellantis’ Opel brand is developing its own electric SUV with the Chinese partner for 2028. And behind the scenes, both parties have long been discussing further technical cooperation.
This development is particularly evident at the Paris Auto Show. Leapmotor introduces another electric vehicle, the B03, for the first time in Europe, while announcing that production of the B10 in Spain has officially begun. A few exhibition halls away, Opel showcases its concept of an electric station wagon with the STX Concept, and Peugeot highlights its own electric concept vehicles. Outside these events, the brands remain clearly distinct. Technically, however, the boundaries are at least becoming much more blurred in the case of Opel.
Since the introduction of the FaSTLAne 2030 strategy, Stellantis has aimed to achieve two goals simultaneously: greater efficiency through shared platforms and technologies, while also maintaining more distinct brand identities. This balancing act will be evident at the Paris Auto Show. To the outside world, the company showcases the independence of its brands through various concept vehicles, but behind the scenes, development and technology are being more closely integrated. The deeper cooperation with Leapmotor fits perfectly into this dynamic.
Leapmotor’s Europe head, Danilo Annese, summarizes his company’s European ambitions in Paris with a simple formula: “We are in Europe, and we want to stay in Europe.” He explicitly means more than just selling imported vehicles. Leapmotor aims to build cars in Europe and further increase its local presence.
Interestingly, Annese does not primarily cite tariffs or production costs as reasons for localization. He focuses on logistics. Those who import from China are “exposed to all kinds of delays” and more vulnerable to geopolitical disruptions. Local production brings Leapmotor closer to customers and enables faster and more stable deliveries.
In his view, this should not be limited to final assembly of Chinese vehicles. Additional models could be localized if production capacity and business viability permit it. Leapmotor is also considering European manufacturing for the B05 model.
The more critical point lies elsewhere: Stellantis is increasingly shifting from a distribution partner to a technology and industrial partner for Leapmotor. Annese confirms that the two companies are continuously discussing platforms and further technical cooperation. He does not want to name any specific new projects in Paris yet. However, the development of the joint Opel SUV already shows how deep this collaboration can go.
Huettl favors “Less planning, more development”
The Opel project is currently the most interesting test case for this partnership. This electric SUV, approximately 4.50 meters long, is intended to sit between the Frontera and Grandland models and is set to hit the market in 2028. It will be produced in Zaragoza, the same location where the Leapmotor B10 is already being manufactured. Development began in mid-2026, and according to Opel CEO Florian Huettl, the so-called styling freeze has already been reached.
In a conversation in Paris, Huettl emphasized that it is not a rebranded Leapmotor. “We combine the development expertise of our Opel engineers in Rüsselsheim with that of Leapmotor’s engineers in China,” he said. The goal is to “bring the best of both worlds together.”
What each of these two worlds is meant to contribute is now quite clear. Opel focuses on areas such as suspension, steering, lighting technology, seats, design, and the user experience. Leapmotor provides expertise in E/E architecture, batteries, and electric drive systems, while also offering access to its procurement and supplier network. Huettl emphasizes that Leapmotor is not intended to replace the company’s own technical development efforts.
Opel is also relying on Stellantis’s own technologies and platforms. Huettl sees several advantages in battery technology as well. “LFP ensures affordability in the first step,” he says. Modern battery management and cooling systems would complement this “not only in the partnership with Leapmotor but also in the development of the STLA One.” The collaboration with Leapmotor can thus be seen more as an accelerator. Opel strategically utilizes Chinese expertise where Huettl identifies a need for technological advancement, without abandoning its own development foundation.
Huettl explains quite clearly why Opel is pursuing this path at all. The Chinese auto industry has gained an edge in electronic components, vehicle architectures, battery technology, and electric drives. “This needs to be said quite clearly.”
European manufacturers often talk about unfair competition, subsidies, or differing production costs. Huettl discusses these issues as well, but primarily focuses on the technological lag of their own industry.
"The terrain, the field in which we need to catch up, are the components of electric drive," he says, listing battery, motor, and architecture as examples. Opel attempts to make this "catch-up" simultaneously through its own Stellantis technologies and via Leapmotor. Huettl is particularly impressed by the speed of development work in China. The project is "very engineering-driven." When technical problems arise, the teams focus directly on finding solutions and revising them as needed.
His most concise statement on the matter: “Less planning, more development.” The speed is “remarkable.” Opel therefore believes it can develop the new SUV in less than two years. Opel also aims to learn from Leapmotor in terms of software. Huettl describes its electronic architecture as powerful and highlights the possibilities for over-the-air updates. Opel intends to use this technical foundation but adapt the functions and assist systems to European requirements.
The B10, already available in Europe, provides a rough technical reference point. At 4.51 meters, it fits exactly within the size range of the new Opel model. It is offered with LFP batteries of 56.2 or 67.1 kWh capacity. The larger version can charge at up to 168 kW and achieve a maximum range of 434 kilometers according to WLTP standards.
It has not been confirmed, however, that Opel will adopt these components unchanged. Battery and powertrain technology are specifically set to be the focus of joint development. Opel also aims to establish its own identity in areas such as the suspension, user interface design, and other aspects visible to customers. Huettl puts it this way: “We are developing a new model together.” The goal is ultimately to create a “true Opel.”
This sounds simpler than it is. It is precisely here that it will be decided whether this cooperation truly leads to a new development model or if, in the end, only Chinese core technology will underpin the European design.
For now, Opel will not develop a series production strategy based on this. The product plan until the end of 2030 includes only this single vehicle from the direct collaboration with Leapmotor, says Huettl. “We are doing something that no one has done in this form before.” Therefore, the company is focusing first on bringing this project to market successfully. In its initial announcement at Maiklang, Opel was more ambitious, describing the SUV as a potential blueprint for an expanded partnership.
For Stellantis, Leapmotor is more than just a Chinese importer
At the group level, the scope is even broader. Stellantis holds a 20 percent stake in Leapmotor. In addition, there is Leapmotor International, which is owned 51 percent by Stellantis and 49 percent by Leapmotor, and is responsible for operations outside China.
Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said in Paris that the relationship is now shifting from a primarily sales-oriented collaboration to one focused on engineering and production. Additional manufacturing options are also being explored. Stellantis’ strong interest in this is evident when looking at its European plants. Filosa estimated their utilization rate for 2025 to be around 60 percent. Additional Leapmotor models can fill the available capacity. Saragossa already serves as a model for this: first the Leapmotor B10, followed by the jointly developed Opel SUV.
Filosa links this strategy to a call for change in European industrial policy. His recurring term in Paris was “level playing field.” Those who want to sell in Europe should invest as much as possible in European development, plants, and supply chains.
At first glance, this seems contradictory. Stellantis demands protection or fair terms against Chinese competition while simultaneously integrating a Chinese partner more deeply into its own development and production systems.
In fact, both actions are part of the same strategy. Leapmotor is not meant to simply send vehicles from China to Europe. The company is supposed to establish parts of the value chain here, while Stellantis gains access to technology, speed, and cost advantages in return.
Favey has “No Intent at All” for Peugeot
The sensitivity of this issue is evident when looking at Peugeot. The brand’s chief, Alain Favey, answered in Paris whether Peugeot might follow Opel’s example with remarkable clarity: “We have absolutely no intention of developing anything with Leapmotor for Europe.”
This is explicitly part of the brand’s differentiation strategy. Favey said, in essence, that Opel’s path is not necessarily the same as Peugeot’s. After all, Peugeot also has a Chinese partner. Together with Dongfeng, they are developing a new model for China, with another under consideration. According to Favey, these vehicles are not intended for Europe. Instead, he emphasizes the brand’s European side unusually strongly: “Anyone who buys a Peugeot in Europe must understand that they are contributing to the European economy.” He points to manufacturing plants and value creation in Europe, noting that the future of the European automotive industry is by no means guaranteed.
This presents an interesting contrast with Opel. After all, both brands claim to aim at strengthening the European industry, though in different ways. Peugeot focuses on greater technological independence compared to Leapmotor. Opel argues that it is precisely the combination of Chinese technology with European development and production that can ensure its own competitiveness.
At the exhibition booth, these differences are hardly visible. Citroën displays an electric 2CV concept, Peugeot shows electric coupe and motorsport studies, Opel presents the STX Concept as an electric future station wagon, and DS showcases the F3VER as a vision for a potential electric car in the compact segment. Plenty of design, plenty of brand identity, plenty of independence.
Behind the scenes, however, it’s a bit more complicated. Leapmotor now supplies not only cars to Europe. The manufacturer provides production volumes for European Stellantis plants and technology for a future Opel model. Meanwhile, Peugeot does not intend to follow this path.
The partnership can now be understood in three stages. Initially, Stellantis helped sell Leapmotor vehicles outside of China. Then, production of Leapmotor models began at Stellantis plants in Europe. With the new Opel SUV, for the first time a model from a European group brand features Chinese core technology directly influencing its development. For Stellantis, this is a pragmatic response to a difficult problem. Chinese competitors have not only become cheaper but are also technologically faster in several key areas for electric vehicles.
The real question is no longer whether Stellantis uses Chinese technology. The company already does so. What’s more interesting is how far this technology can be integrated into European brands without their identity reducing to mere design considerations. Opel is currently testing exactly this. Peugeot, on the other hand, deliberately sets a boundary and rejects adopting a similar Leapmotor approach for Europe for now.
This makes the new Opel SUV more than just another model. It serves as a test to see if Stellantis can truly combine Chinese development speed with European brand identity. If successful, the partnership with Leapmotor could extend far beyond this single vehicle. If not, it would mean that very interchangeability reappears, which Stellantis aimed to overcome with its new strategy.
_Source: electrive on site in Paris_