Stellantis and Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Leapmotor have solidified their strategic partnership with the establishment of a joint venture, Leapmotor International. The joint venture, in which Stellantis holds a 51% controlling stake, is tasked with the exclusive rights for the export, sale, and manufacturing of Leapmotor products outside of Greater China.
A key component of this partnership is the recently announced plan to commence the assembly of Leapmotor electric vehicles at Stellantis’ existing manufacturing facility in Gurun, Kedah, Malaysia. This initiative is set to begin by the end of 2025, with an initial investment of €5 million (approximately RM 24 million). The first model slated for local assembly is the Leapmotor C10 SUV.
Malaysia has been strategically chosen as a regional manufacturing hub for this venture, aligning with Stellantis’ “Built in ASEAN for ASEAN” strategy. The Gurun plant, with its established infrastructure and capacity, will serve not only the Malaysian domestic market but also facilitate exports to other countries in the ASEAN region in the future. This move is also expected to contribute to the growth of the Malaysian automotive industry, including technology transfer and the development of the local supply chain, in line with Malaysia’s National Automotive Policy 2030.
About Stellantis and Leapmotor partnership: In October 2023, they formed a strategic global partnership focused on accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles worldwide. This collaboration involves Stellantis investing approximately €1.5 billion to acquire about a 21% equity stake in Leapmotor.
