Recently, Stellantis (斯特兰蒂斯) and Leapmotor (零跑汽车) announced that they will further intensify their production layout in Europe, signifying that the overseas strategy of Chinese automakers has shifted from pure trade exports to deep asset integration.
According to the latest disclosed details of the cooperation, the two parties plan to add a new production line at the Zaragoza plant in Spain and officially launch the mass production of Leapmotor's (零跑汽车) mid-size SUV B10 within 2026. Notably, this Leapmotor (零跑汽车) B10 will achieve same-platform production and parts sharing with an all-new electric SUV from Stellantis' Opel brand. However, due to the higher efficiency of the Chinese supply chain, the start of production for the Leapmotor (零跑汽车) model is a full two years earlier than its Opel platform counterpart. This model of utilizing a Chinese technological foundation and sharing local European supply chains not only greatly enhances production efficiency but also equips Chinese brands with stronger cost-hedging capabilities when facing European tariff barriers.
In addition to the Zaragoza plant, the Villaverde plant in Madrid will also undergo significant changes. As the original Citroën C4 production line is about to halt due to the end of the model's lifecycle, the two parties plan to introduce a brand-new Leapmotor (零跑汽车) model in 2028 to fill the idle capacity. Currently, the most crucial negotiation between the partners lies in the transfer of asset ownership; they are planning to transfer the ownership of the Villaverde plant to the Spanish subsidiary of the joint venture between Leapmotor (零跑汽车) and Stellantis. If this plan is ultimately finalized, it will mark the first time a Chinese automaker has gained substantive control over a mainstream European auto plant through a joint venture, thereby achieving a fundamental leap from "borrowing land for OEM" to "on-site operation." Through this deep binding of joint procurement and factory ownership, Leapmotor (零跑汽车) has not only secured stable localized capacity in Europe but also bypassed the lengthy environmental review and infrastructure cycles required to build its own factory, paving the way for a market breakout in the second half of 2026.