Stellantis and Leapmotor: new partnership, production and future?
The start of Leapmotor B10 production at Stellantis’ Figueruelas plant in Zaragoza turns a strategic partnership into an industrial operation
Attending the start of production event at Figueruelas for Leapmotor’s B10 model, it’s clear this more than just a new model launch. It represents a serious step forward in a current trend of Chinese OEMs looking to utilise spare production capacity in European plants (Nissan Sunderland – Chery, Ford Valencia – Geely). Stellantis and Leapmotor say this is the first full production of a Chinese vehicle in Europe, not using imported kits, something they note as an important milestone.
We understand that B10 assembly is currently operating with one shift on Line 2 (Line 1 dedicated producing Stellantis’ Opel, Peugeot and Lancia models) and utilising Figueruelas’ bodyshop and paintshop operations. However, more detailed information on the development and integration of B10 manufacturing operations hasn’t yet been revealed.
This project brings a new brand into an established factory, combining Leapmotor’s electric-vehicle technology with Stellantis’ manufacturing footprint, workforce and supplier network. It also provides a practical example of how Stellantis says it intends to increase the utilisation of its European plants: share capacity with partners and introduce additional models, while retaining flexibility to respond to demand.
While the launch is significant for both companies, it is a starting point with much potential yet to be realised. Notably, the partners say, at present, there’s no commitment to a fixed production volume. At the Zaragoza round table, Oscar Fernández Puente, Senior Vice President – Head of Manufacturing for Vehicle Production Plants, Segments Low, Medium and Maserati, said the priority was to provide capacity for the launches, rather than set a production target in advance. The plant would need to accommodate Leapmotor and Stellantis models as they evolve, with the eventual mix shaped by the market.
That combination – new production, an existing industrial base and no predetermined volume – encapsulates the promise and the uncertainty of the arrangement. The partners have demonstrated that a Leapmotor model can enter production at Figueruelas. The next test is whether demand and future launches can sustain and expand the programme.
We’re not just producing vehicles. We are establishing an industrial cooperation model that takes advantage of the existing assets and our competitiveness
An alliance with an industrial purpose
Stellantis’ FaSTLAne 2030 plan makes alliances one of its strategic pillars, according to Silvia Vernetti, who manages JV & Strategic plan implementation at the OEM. The plan is intended to address an automotive industry being reshaped by electrification, software and new technologies, and challenging economic conditions. Vernetti emphasised that the transition must be industrial as well as technological, and that partnerships should deliver practical value rather than collaboration for its own sake.
She described the Leapmotor alliance as a “win-win situation” and said it complements Stellantis’ product offer while supporting better use of its industrial facilities. The aim, she said, is to “increase the utilisation share from 60% to 80%” across Stellantis’ European plants. Zaragoza, she added, is the first example of how partnerships can contribute to that objective; the plant at Villaverde, Madrid is another location identified as a future example.
The partnership is structured through Leapmotor International (LPMI), in which Stellantis holds a 51% stake. Vernetti characterised it as a strategic relationship based on trust and shared ambition. In her account, the vehicles produced in Zaragoza combine Stellantis’ industrial experience and production quality standards with Leapmotor’s innovation capabilities.
“This is precisely what we are seeing take shape today,” she said of the start of production at Figueruelas. “We’re not just producing vehicles. We are establishing an industrial cooperation model that takes advantage of the existing assets and our competitiveness.”
For Stellantis, the logic is to use existing plants and expertise more effectively. For Leapmotor, the arrangement gives the company an asset-light route into European manufacturing through an established industrial network. Danilo Annese, Leapmotor’s European chief executive, described the combination as “the presence and the capacity of Stellantis with the speed of Leapmotor.”
Why Figueruelas was chosen
The site was selected for more than its location. Fernández Puente described Zaragoza as a mature plant with developed logistics and a supplier base that helped the companies move quickly through implementation. The factory’s competitiveness in performance and cost mattered, but flexibility was also an important factor in the decision.
The plant could change the composition of its production line and release capacity for the new vehicles, Fernández Puente said. He called flexibility one of the central advantages of the site. At the round table, he said the plant could adapt the mix of Leapmotor and Stellantis vehicles according to demand, describing it as “practically 100% flexible” in that respect.
That adaptability is central to the utilisation strategy. Increasing capacity use does not necessarily mean assigning one line permanently to one model or brand. Instead, Figueruelas is expected to manage launches and production requirements across its portfolio as they develop; this approach providing options for Stellantis and Leapmotor.
Fernández Puente noted that the end customer would help determine which models should receive more production.
B10 production: localisation, not just assembly
At the round table, Annese said B10 production was already under way, with customer deliveries expected between December and January. Local production, he said, should make delivery more efficient and reduce reliance on long-distance logistics.
The manufacturing process is a core part of the project’s positioning. Annese rejected the idea that the B10 was simply being assembled from kits imported from China. He confirmed that production includes “paint, body, everything.”
Annese also described a developing local supply chain. Suppliers from Europe and China were establishing facilities nearby to serve production, particularly for larger components. Some parts still come from China, he said, but his distinction was that the B10 is manufactured through the plant’s production processes, rather than being a simple assembly of imported pieces.
Battery assembly adds another regional element. Annese said batteries are assembled at a nearby plant, around 30 minutes from Figueruelas, starting from cells and completing the battery before it goes into the vehicle. He described the operation as separate from Stellantis’ CATL joint venture and said there was no plan at that site to produce cells.
On local content, Annese said the B10 met the European production requirement for localised content, which he described as above 40%. He said Leapmotor and Stellantis were ready to work together to meet future regulatory requirements as they evolve.
At this point no details around supply chains have been shared; no doubt these are evolving and subject to production volumes, market demand for the B10 and the above-mentioned future regulatory requirements, but it will be interesting to see how much of the localised content comes from existing Stellantis suppliers and how the localised supply chain might increase with new businesses coming in to support production. For any future co-developed models planned (Opel C-SUV), some degree of commonality across component, fixtures, fasteners and tooling, etc. might be expected, however, this is not always easy to achieve in the short term and in this case looks, in the near future, to be based around technology sharing (electrical architecture, platforms).
Cooperation across teams and operations
The launch of B10 production at Figueruelas depended on collaboration beyond production-line changes. Annese said Stellantis engineers and manufacturing personnel were involved in a constant exchange with Leapmotor teams, with engineers on site supporting the build, training and recruitment.
The production launch remarks also emphasised joint work on the line. Annese said the teams had worked closely together, improving the line to automate a number of tasks and incorporating Leapmotor technology. He also emphasised that the programme drew on more than just the production workforce: engineering, purchasing, logistics and suppliers from both companies were recognised as contributors to the project.
The employment figures discussed at the event were presented with different scopes. Annese said in the interview that 400 new jobs had been created in Zaragoza and 50 at the nearby battery plant. It was noted that this could increase as new models are introduced to the production operations.
Next steps: B05 and beyond
Further production is planned for the plant with Annese confirming that the B05 would be produced in Zaragoza, looking to start in the first half of 2027.
Annese said the companies were not stopping with those models. Discussions were ongoing to identify further products suited to European customers, and he said localisation could take place at Stellantis plants beyond Zaragoza. He did not announce additional allocations or sites. The same caution applies to wider technical cooperation: the speakers described continuing discussions but did not set out a firm programme or timetable beyond the announced vehicles.
Certainly, the Zaragoza is being considered as the production location for the planned Opel C-SUV. This new, all-electric SUV has been designed at Opel’s Rüsselsheim facility and will be co-developed by teams in Germany and China. This collaboration is targeting a shortened development time of less than two years, and new vehicle will use core components of the latest Leapmotor electric architecture and battery technology.
Vernetti said the partnership was at an early stage and that Stellantis was studying further opportunities, provided they offered an advantage to both brands and the end customer. That approach leaves room for expansion without treating it as guaranteed. For Figueruelas, further Leapmotor models would mean more opportunities to use the site’s capacity, but the timing and scale depend on product decisions and demand.
A test of Stellantis’ utilisation strategy
Across Europe, automotive production plant utilisation is low. As we see, a changing global economic landscape, challenging market conditions in some regions and significant cost increases across the board, has placed increasing pressure on manufacturing operations to become more efficient. As noted, there is a movement towards sharing spare capacity with other OEMs, which would seem to offer some respite, but how these partnerships will evolve remains to be seen. Stellantis’ approach offers a glimpse of what the future might look like in this respect.
The start of B10 production gives substance to Stellantis’ ambition to raise European plant utilisation from around 60% to around 80%. However, it does not, by itself, demonstrate how much utilisation will rise. No production target was set, no plant-level utilisation change was disclosed, and the future allocation of models remains under discussion.
That makes Figueruelas both a production site and a proving ground. For Leapmotor, it is a route to European manufacturing using Stellantis’ industrial network. For Stellantis, it is an example of an alliance intended to make better use of existing assets while complementing its range. Whether the arrangement grows into a larger programme will depend on the B10’s progress, the B05 launch and the customer demand that ultimately determines how much of the plant’s capacity the partnership can use.
