To The Moon

Leapmotor's European expansion has surpassed expectations, with pure electric vehicles making up ninety percent of its sales.

On Monday, October 12, Danilo Annese, CEO of Leapmotor International, said at the Paris Motor Show that battery electric vehicles account for as much as 90% of Leapmotor's European sales, and that overall sales performance has also exceeded the company's expectations from a year ago.

Against the backdrop of the European Union's negotiations to restrict imports of hybrid vehicles, Annese characterized a related agreement as "an interesting alternative beyond tariffs," and said Leapmotor International will comply with whatever trade deal is ultimately reached.

At the same time, Leapmotor unveiled the D19 SUV equipped with a range extender at the Paris Motor Show, and is evaluating how to further utilize its existing production capacity in Europe.

Demand Exceeds Expectations, with Turning Points Emerging in Traditionally Low-Penetration Markets

Annese said actual demand in Europe's electric vehicle market has exceeded the company's assessment from about a year ago. He particularly noted that markets such as Italy and Spain, where EV penetration has historically been low, are now also seeing a clear rebound in demand, providing Leapmotor with additional room for growth.

Leapmotor International is a joint venture established by Stellantis NV and China's Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology, with Stellantis NV holding a 51% stake in the joint venture. Leapmotor International is responsible for all of the Leapmotor brand's international business outside China. In May of this year, Stellantis NV and Leapmotor announced a deepening of their cooperation to jointly develop electric vehicles.

Annese revealed that he is continuing discussions with Stellantis NV about potential sites for Leapmotor's future European manufacturing base. He said the Madrid plant is one option, but not the only one, and that locations outside Spain are also under consideration.

As trade frictions continue to escalate and tariff pressure remains not fully clear, advancing localized production in Europe is seen as an important path to reducing policy risk and consolidating market position. The company is currently evaluating how to further revitalize its existing production capacity in Europe.