MILAN (Reuters) – Chinese automaker LibMotor and partner Stellantis said on Tuesday they would start taking orders in Europe for a city car and an SUV as they expand their low-cost electric vehicle offering in the region.
Stellantis owns a 51% stake in its joint venture Leapmotor International and has exclusive rights to build, export and sell Leapmotor products outside China in a first for a major Western automaker.
The T03 compact car will be available from the end of September with prices starting at €18,900 ($20,990) while the C10 SUV will be available in dealerships in October starting at €36,400, the joint venture said in a statement.
The two models were shown for the first time in Europe near Milan on Tuesday.
Initially imported from China, the T03 will also be assembled in Europe, at the Stellantis Tychy plant in Poland, which could help the brand avoid EU tariffs on imported Chinese electric cars.
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares hinted that the C10 could be built in Europe, but did not provide details.
Leapmotor, which will be Stellantis’ 15th brand, will help the world’s fourth-largest automaker expand its range of affordable electric vehicles as it pushes ahead with electrification and seeks to comply with European Union emissions rules at a time of weak global demand for electric vehicles.
Tavares opposes a call by European automotive lobby group ACEA to ease intermediate CO2 targets for cars and vans that come into force in the EU in 2025. He said last week it was important for the industry to sell electric cars at the same price as petrol models.
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