Leapmotor, the Chinese automotive partner of Stellantis, is planning to launch vehicles with advanced smart-driving technologies in Europe next year, reported Reuters citing the company’s senior vice president Cao Li.
The move comes amid increasing competition in the electric vehicle (EV) and long-range hybrid markets.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Cao Li was cited by the news agency as saying that the company is set to establish a research and development team in Europe. The team is dedicated to tailoring self-driving algorithms based on data collected from roads in Europe.
“The biggest challenge, I think, is that overseas road conditions and traffic rules are different from those in China. We need to have a lot of data and to understand local regulations to adapt to local road conditions for localised training,” Cao added.
Leapmotor is also preparing to enhance its new B10 crossover by the end of the year.
The update, which will be delivered via over-the-air software updates, will introduce urban navigation autopilot features, an advancement which equates to Level 3 autonomy, Cao said.
This level allows drivers to remove their hands from the steering wheel, surpassing the more limited Level 2 capabilities.
The B10, which began pre-sales in China earlier this month, has a starting price of 109,800 yuan ($15,115). A version equipped with lidar and urban navigation features starts at 129,800 yuan ($17,870).
Leapmotor’s move to enhance the B10 with these features is pending regulatory approval, in line with China’s new rules requiring autonomous driving-related OTA upgrades to be reviewed by the industry ministry.
In 2023, Stellantis invested $1.6bn for a 21% stake in Leapmotor and formed Leapmotor International, in which the company holds a 51% stake.
The two companies are reportedly considering Spain as the production site for the B10 model intended for the European market starting next year.
Additionally, Leapmotor is set to unveil a second model in its “B series” at the Shanghai auto show in April 2025.
Plans to manufacture a second EV model at Stellantis’ plant in Poland were abandoned by Stellantis and Leapmotor in November 2024.
