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7NEWS
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- 7NEWS
Leapmotor wants to be among top three Chinese EV brands "everywhere"
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) upstart Leapmotor has bold plans for its global model rollout and says it hopes to be jostling with the likes of BYD and MG globally soon, but only in the realm of EVs. Leapmotor was only founded in 2015, and it wasn't until 2019 that it began producing its first vehicles. It exclusively offers EVs and extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs), but its efforts to sell vehicles in markets like Europe and Australia are operated by a joint-venture subsidiary known as Leapmotor International. Automotive conglomerate Stellantis, which owns brands like Jeep, Ram, Peugeot, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, and Fiat, holds a 51 per cent controlling stake in Leapmotor International – presenting a significant opportunity for the Chinese upstart to become the best-selling brand under the Stellantis umbrella, particularly in Australia. But when Leapmotor International CEO Tianshu Xin was asked about that potential, he said that 'it doesn't have to be best-selling among the Stellantis family.' 'Our vision is to be the top three everywhere, in every market we play, among Chinese players – EV players because we only do the new energy vehicles. Leapmotor don't do internal combustion [vehicles],' he said. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Becoming a top-three Chinese EV brand in a market like Australia would put Leapmotor up there with BYD and MG. In the first quarter of 2025, MG led the way with 1950 EV sales, while BYD placed a close second with 1848. The third most popular EV brand born in China was Zeekr, with 211 sales, though the Chinese-owned Volvo and Polestar brands were ahead of it with 718 and 389 EV sales respectively. Chinese-built Teslas were still on top of all these brands by a considerable margin, however. Leapmotor, meanwhile, only managed 138 sales in the same period, though it's far too early for that to be a representative figure. It also only has one model on sale in Australia so far, the C10 mid-size SUV. As far as becoming the best-selling Stellantis brand in Australia is concerned, Leapmotor doesn't have a particularly high hurdle to clear. The top-selling Stellantis brand locally so far in 2025 is Ram, with 768 sales recorded in the first quarter. Jeep is next with 529, then Peugeot with 373. Even so, Mr Xin says there's a focus on competition outside of the Stellantis group, and Leapmotor has a significant role in its global efforts. He said Stellantis is able to provide an established network through which Leapmotor can expand and, in return, Leapmotor can serve as a 'weapon' for Stellantis to tackle the numerous other EV brands on sale globally. 'For the Stellantis group family to compete with those new players from China, one of the best ways is to use Leapmotor to compete with them,' Mr Xin said. 'So we consider Leapmotor an additional weapon for [the] Stellantis family to compete with those new players. So [EVs are] the segment we're focusing on, plus the energy transition one way or the other is going to happen. 'It's not a question of if it's going to happen, the question is when it's going to happen. China is maybe at the moment a little bit ahead of the rest of the world, but the rest of the world is going to catch up one way or the other. It's just a matter of time.'
West Australian
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- West Australian
Leapmotor wants to be among top three Chinese EV brands "everywhere"
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) upstart Leapmotor has bold plans for its global model rollout and says it hopes to be jostling with the likes of BYD and MG globally soon, but only in the realm of EVs. Leapmotor was only founded in 2015, and it wasn't until 2019 that it began producing its first vehicles. It exclusively offers EVs and extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs), but its efforts to sell vehicles in markets like Europe and Australia are operated by a joint-venture subsidiary known as Leapmotor International. Automotive conglomerate Stellantis, which owns brands like Jeep , Ram , Peugeot , Maserati , Alfa Romeo , and Fiat , holds a 51 per cent controlling stake in Leapmotor International – presenting a significant opportunity for the Chinese upstart to become the best-selling brand under the Stellantis umbrella, particularly in Australia. But when Leapmotor International CEO Tianshu Xin was asked about that potential, he said that 'it doesn't have to be best-selling among the Stellantis family.' 'Our vision is to be the top three everywhere, in every market we play, among Chinese players – EV players because we only do the new energy vehicles. Leapmotor don't do internal combustion [vehicles],' he said. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now . Becoming a top-three Chinese EV brand in a market like Australia would put Leapmotor up there with BYD and MG. In the first quarter of 2025, MG led the way with 1950 EV sales, while BYD placed a close second with 1848. The third most popular EV brand born in China was Zeekr , with 211 sales, though the Chinese-owned Volvo and Polestar brands were ahead of it with 718 and 389 EV sales respectively. Chinese-built Teslas were still on top of all these brands by a considerable margin, however. Leapmotor, meanwhile, only managed 138 sales in the same period, though it's far too early for that to be a representative figure. It also only has one model on sale in Australia so far, the C10 mid-size SUV . As far as becoming the best-selling Stellantis brand in Australia is concerned, Leapmotor doesn't have a particularly high hurdle to clear. The top-selling Stellantis brand locally so far in 2025 is Ram, with 768 sales recorded in the first quarter. Jeep is next with 529, then Peugeot with 373. Even so, Mr Xin says there's a focus on competition outside of the Stellantis group, and Leapmotor has a significant role in its global efforts. He said Stellantis is able to provide an established network through which Leapmotor can expand and, in return, Leapmotor can serve as a 'weapon' for Stellantis to tackle the numerous other EV brands on sale globally. 'For the Stellantis group family to compete with those new players from China, one of the best ways is to use Leapmotor to compete with them,' Mr Xin said. 'So we consider Leapmotor an additional weapon for [the] Stellantis family to compete with those new players. So [EVs are] the segment we're focusing on, plus the energy transition one way or the other is going to happen. 'It's not a question of if it's going to happen, the question is when it's going to happen. China is maybe at the moment a little bit ahead of the rest of the world, but the rest of the world is going to catch up one way or the other. It's just a matter of time.' MORE: How Leapmotor plans to stand out from the crowd in Australia MORE: China's Leapmotor wants to blaze a new trail in Australia with range-extender EV tech MORE: All Leapmotor models are on the cards for Australia MORE: Everything Leapmotor
Perth Now
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- Perth Now
Leapmotor wants to be among top three Chinese EV brands "everywhere"
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) upstart Leapmotor has bold plans for its global model rollout and says it hopes to be jostling with the likes of BYD and MG globally soon, but only in the realm of EVs. Leapmotor was only founded in 2015, and it wasn't until 2019 that it began producing its first vehicles. It exclusively offers EVs and extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs), but its efforts to sell vehicles in markets like Europe and Australia are operated by a joint-venture subsidiary known as Leapmotor International. Automotive conglomerate Stellantis, which owns brands like Jeep, Ram, Peugeot, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, and Fiat, holds a 51 per cent controlling stake in Leapmotor International – presenting a significant opportunity for the Chinese upstart to become the best-selling brand under the Stellantis umbrella, particularly in Australia. But when Leapmotor International CEO Tianshu Xin was asked about that potential, he said that 'it doesn't have to be best-selling among the Stellantis family.' 'Our vision is to be the top three everywhere, in every market we play, among Chinese players – EV players because we only do the new energy vehicles. Leapmotor don't do internal combustion [vehicles],' he said. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Leapmotor C10 Credit: CarExpert Becoming a top-three Chinese EV brand in a market like Australia would put Leapmotor up there with BYD and MG. In the first quarter of 2025, MG led the way with 1950 EV sales, while BYD placed a close second with 1848. The third most popular EV brand born in China was Zeekr, with 211 sales, though the Chinese-owned Volvo and Polestar brands were ahead of it with 718 and 389 EV sales respectively. Chinese-built Teslas were still on top of all these brands by a considerable margin, however. Leapmotor, meanwhile, only managed 138 sales in the same period, though it's far too early for that to be a representative figure. It also only has one model on sale in Australia so far, the C10 mid-size SUV. As far as becoming the best-selling Stellantis brand in Australia is concerned, Leapmotor doesn't have a particularly high hurdle to clear. The top-selling Stellantis brand locally so far in 2025 is Ram, with 768 sales recorded in the first quarter. Jeep is next with 529, then Peugeot with 373. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Even so, Mr Xin says there's a focus on competition outside of the Stellantis group, and Leapmotor has a significant role in its global efforts. He said Stellantis is able to provide an established network through which Leapmotor can expand and, in return, Leapmotor can serve as a 'weapon' for Stellantis to tackle the numerous other EV brands on sale globally. 'For the Stellantis group family to compete with those new players from China, one of the best ways is to use Leapmotor to compete with them,' Mr Xin said. 'So we consider Leapmotor an additional weapon for [the] Stellantis family to compete with those new players. So [EVs are] the segment we're focusing on, plus the energy transition one way or the other is going to happen. 'It's not a question of if it's going to happen, the question is when it's going to happen. China is maybe at the moment a little bit ahead of the rest of the world, but the rest of the world is going to catch up one way or the other. It's just a matter of time.' MORE: How Leapmotor plans to stand out from the crowd in AustraliaMORE: China's Leapmotor wants to blaze a new trail in Australia with range-extender EV techMORE: All Leapmotor models are on the cards for AustraliaMORE: Everything Leapmotor
TimesLIVE
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Stellantis targets India for EVs developed by its China partner
Stellantis plans to sell Chinese-branded electric vehicles developed by its partner Leapmotor in India as soon as the end of this year, said the executive leading the joint venture. "With the size of the automotive market, India has a lot of potential" said Tianshu Xin, head of China operations for Stellantis and CEO of its joint venture, Leapmotor International. "We're accelerating entering into the Indian market," Xin told Reuters on the sidelines of the Shanghai auto show. He did not specify which model Stellantis would look to sell in India from Leapmotor or whether the vehicles would be exported from China or assembled locally. The Stellantis-controlled joint venture has been planning to use Stellantis plants in Europe and Indonesia to assemble Leapmotor EVs for local markets. Xin said the strategy could be "fragile" given the fast-changing nature of trade tariffs. In a separate interview, Leapmotor founder and CEO Zhu Jiangming also said India was a potentially large market for the EV maker but it would be difficult to make a profit there. "No matter smartphones, tablets, it is very difficult to profit from India and it is well expected it would be the same for the car market," Zhu said. Stellantis has several plants in India, including a plant in Tamil Nadu that is manufacturing EVs under the Citroen brand. US-based Tesla, the EV pioneer that trails China's BYD in revenue, has long wanted to sell in India, the world's third-largest car market. Tesla chief Elon Musk said India's tariffs of 100% on imports have been a deterrent. Tesla said on Wednesday it was assessing whether to enter India, a market its CFO described as "very hot". Leapmotor created waves with its recent rollout of an all-electric B10 SUV equipped with smart-driving features and lidar sensing technology for less than $18,000 (R339,350). In 2023, Stellantis bought a 21% stake in Leapmotor for $1.6bn (R30,167,334,400). The two carmakers also formed the joint venture Leapmotor International, in which Stellantis holds a 51% stake. Leapmotor sold just over 300,000 cars last year, less than a tenth of the volume of BYD, though it was profitable in the fourth quarter, a year ahead of its earlier forecast.
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Stellantis targets India for EVs developed by its China partner
Stellantis plans to sell Chinese-branded electric vehicles developed by its partner Leapmotor in India as soon as the end of this year, the executive leading the joint venture said. "With the size of the automotive market, India certainly has a lot of potential as well," said Tianshu Xin, head of China operations for Stellantis and CEO of its joint venture, Leapmotor International . "We're accelerating entering into the Indian market," Xin told Reuters on the sidelines of the Shanghai auto show. He did not specify which model Stellantis would look to sell in India from Leapmotor or whether the vehicles would be exported from China or assembled locally. The Stellantis-controlled joint venture has been planning to use Stellantis plants in Europe and Indonesia to assemble Leapmotor EVs for local markets. Xin said that strategy could be "fragile" given the fast-changing nature of trade tariffs. In a separate interview, Leapmotor founder and CEO Zhu Jiangming, also said India was a potentially large market for the EV maker but it would be difficult to make a profit there. "No matter smartphones, tablets, it is very difficult to profit from India and it is well expected that it would be the same for the auto market," Zhu said. Stellantis has several plants in India, including a plant in Tamil Nadu that is already manufacturing EVs under the Citroen brand. U.S.-based Tesla, the EV pioneer that now trails China's BYD in revenue, has long wanted to sell in India, the world's third-largest car market. Tesla chief Elon Musk said India's tariffs of 100per cent on imports have been a deterrent. Tesla said on Wednesday that it was still assessing whether to enter India, a market its chief financial officer described as "very hot." Leapmotor created waves with its recent rollout of an all-electric B10 SUV equipped with smart-driving features and lidar sensing technology for less than $18,000. In 2023, Stellantis bought a 21per cent stake in Leapmotor for $1.6 billion. The two automakers also formed the joint venture Leapmotor International, in which Stellantis holds a 51per cent stake. Leapmotor sold just over 300,000 cars last year, less than a tenth of the volume of BYD, though it was profitable in the fourth quarter, a year ahead of its earlier forecast.
