Stellantis And Leapmotor Announce Their Intention To Take Their Strategic Partnership To The Next Level
Rhea-AI Summary
Stellantis (NYSE: STLA) and Leapmotor intend to expand their strategic partnership to increase European BEV production, purchasing scale and local manufacturing. Key items include potential new C‑SUV BEV production at Figueruelas (Zaragoza) and Leapmotor B10 production, LPMI purchasing expansion, and possible Villaverde plant allocation and ownership transfer.
Notable figures: Stellantis acquired ~21% of Leapmotor (Oct 2023); LPMI is 51% Stellantis/49% Leapmotor; LPMI had >850 European points of sale and >40,000 shipments in 2025. Actions are subject to feasibility studies, definitive agreements and approvals.
Positive
- Stellantis acquired ~21% stake in Leapmotor (Oct 2023)
- LPMI joint venture structured 51% Stellantis / 49% Leapmotor
- LPMI reached >850 European points of sale (2024–2025)
- >40,000 LPMI shipments in Europe in 2025
- Potential Opel C‑SUV production start targeted around 2028
Negative
- All initiatives remain conditional on definitive agreements and approvals
- Timelines are uncertain for plant line additions and model launches
- Possible Villaverde ownership transfer is under discussion, not finalized
News Market Reaction – STLA
In the May 8 session, STLA gained 3.48%, reflecting a moderate positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Previous Partnership Reports
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 17 | Sports partnership | Positive | +2.1% | Ram named official truck and auto partner across Thrill Sports properties. |
| Mar 03 | Retail campaign tie-in | Positive | -1.8% | Declaration of Deals retail push linked to America250 partnership and specials. |
| Feb 19 | Racing partnership | Positive | -4.2% | Dodge TSR NHRA teaming Leah Pruett with Matt Hagan at Gatornationals. |
| Feb 05 | Off-road partnership | Positive | -6.7% | Jeep partnership with Casey Currie plus Mopar accessory retail agreement. |
| Jan 20 | Event sponsorship | Positive | -2.5% | Jeep as presenting and exclusive auto partner for X Games Aspen 2026. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Partnership and collaboration headlines have often coincided with negative next-day moves, with only one of the last five similar releases seeing a positive reaction.
Over recent months, Stellantis combined marketing and sponsorship partnerships with a return to profitability in Q1 2026. Partnership news around Jeep, Ram and retail campaigns sometimes led to share price declines despite upbeat messaging. Financially, Q1 2026 net revenues reached €38.1B with net profit of about €0.4B, after a severe €22.3B loss in 2025. Today’s Leapmotor partnership expansion continues a strategy of leveraging alliances, but past partnership headlines have not consistently supported the stock.
Key Terms
battery electric vehicles technical
joint venture financial
forward-looking statements regulatory
Made-in-Europe requirements regulatory
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Stellantis And Leapmotor Announce Their Intention To Take Their Strategic Partnership To The Next Level
Building on the success of its investment in Leapmotor and of its Stellantis-led Leapmotor International (“LPMI”) joint venture, Stellantis and Leapmotor today announce their intention to expand their strategic partnership, aimed at:
- Increasing production at Stellantis’ Zaragoza plant, Opel’s historical manufacturing site, where an all-new electric battery powered Opel C-SUV would be added on a new line alongside Leapmotor’s C-SUV B10 model
- Enabling the Zaragoza-produced new Opel C-SUV to benefit from components enabled by the LPMI ecosystem, helping to enhance affordability
- Expanding LPMI’s joint purchasing initiatives to increase Stellantis’ European BEV affordability and accelerate time-to-market for new models
- Reinforcing the future of Stellantis’ Villaverde, Madrid plant, by allocating Leapmotor future products for European and global markets, with several nameplates manufactured in line with Made-in-Europe requirements, and with the intention to transfer the plant’s ownership to LPMI’s Spanish subsidiary
AMSTERDAM AND HANGZHOU, May 8, 2026 – Stellantis NV (“Stellantis”) announced today with Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology Co., Ltd. (“Leapmotor”) that they are exploring the expansion of their strategic partnership through a series of initiatives intended to build on the early success of their collaboration.
In October 2023, Stellantis became the single largest shareholder of Leapmotor by acquiring an approximately
The LPMI business experienced a successful trajectory in Europe over the last 18 months. Since launching the T03 and C10 models in 2024, LPMI has expanded its presence across the region to more than 850 points of sale and service, with more than 40,000 shipments in Europe in 2025.
In 2025, LPMI expanded its activities to South America, Asia-Pacific and Middle East and Africa, and has introduced the brand in April 2026 in Mexico.
Stellantis and Leapmotor intend to deepen and expand their cooperation as follows:
- Firstly, in a move to significantly increase production at Stellantis’ Figueruelas plant, in Zaragoza, Spain, the parties are assessing the addition of a new line to manufacture Opel’s all new C-SUV BEV model, with timing under evaluation, including a potential start of production in 2028. This would be in addition to the current production of the Peugeot 208 and the Lancia Ypsilon at Figueruelas. Leapmotor would also bring production of its C-SUV B10 model to the plant potentially commencing as early as 2026.
As part of Stellantis’ strategy to drive growth of the European market for battery electric vehicles, the new Opel C-SUV considered for manufacturing at Figueruelas – which is a long-time Opel production plant where more than 10 million Opel Corsa have been produced since 1982 – would also benefit from highly competitive LPMI-sourced components, which would significantly enhance affordability for European customers.
- Secondly, Stellantis and Leapmotor would also cooperate in the area of purchasing through LPMI, taking advantage of their considerable combined scale and strength. The objective would be to boost price competitiveness by leveraging the Chinese New Energy Vehicle ecosystem, while using European supply chain capabilities to strengthen resilience and accelerate time-to-market for new models.
- Finally, in a move to reinforce significantly the future of Villaverde, Madrid plant, the intended expansion may include the allocation of a new Leapmotor vehicle to the plant, including potential timing from the first half of 2028. This would be of particular relevance in light of the planned end of production of the Citroën C4 at this plant. At the same time, the plant’s ownership is under discussion for potential transfer to LPMI’s Spanish subsidiary. Manufacturing in Villaverde would be in line with Made-in-Europe upcoming requirements and the vehicles would be commercialized by LPMI in the European and Middle East and Africa (MEA) markets.
Antonio Filosa, Stellantis CEO, commented: “This plan to expand our successful partnership with Leapmotor – a trusted peer and one of the fastest-growing, most respected new energy vehicle producers globally – is a true win-win for both of us. It is expected to support production and advance localization in Europe of world-class manufacturing of electric vehicles at affordable prices to meet customers’ real-world needs. Today’s announcement reflects our intent to deepen our partnership and take one more step towards even greater collaborations in the future.”
Zhu Jiangming, Leapmotor founder and CEO said: “Leapmotor’s leading-edge technologies, combined with Stellantis’ global reach, deep regional roots and much-loved automotive brands, would make this a uniquely powerful partnership. Our joint venture, Leapmotor International, has quickly shown its benefits for both partners and in less than three years, has seen us launch our brand on five continents and significantly grow our international reach and reputation.”
The parties are currently progressing feasibility studies and pre-development work under existing arrangements and are continuing discussions toward potential broader industrial cooperation as described herein, subject to the execution of definitive agreements and customary approvals.
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About Stellantis
Stellantis N.V. (NYSE: STLA / Euronext Milan: STLAM / Euronext Paris: STLAP) is a leading global automaker, dedicated to giving its customers the freedom to choose the way they move, embracing the latest technologies and creating value for all its stakeholders. Its unique portfolio of iconic and innovative brands includes Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS Automobiles, FIAT, Jeep®, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, Vauxhall, Free2move and Leasys. For more information, visit www.stellantis.com
 | @Stellantis |  | Stellantis |  | Stellantis |  | Stellantis | |
| For more information, contact: Fernão SILVEIRA +31 6 43 25 43 41 – fernao.silveira@stellantis.com Francesco GIACALONE +33 68 02 70 569 – francesco.giacalone@stellantis.com communications@stellantis.com www.stellantis.com | ||||||||
Stellantis Forward-Looking Statements
There can be no assurance that the parties will enter into definitive agreements or that the contemplated initiatives will be completed as described or at all.
This communication contains forward-looking statements. In particular, statements regarding future events and anticipated results of operations, business strategies, the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction, future financial and operating results, the anticipated closing date for the proposed transaction and other anticipated aspects of our operations or operating results are forward-looking statements. These statements may include terms such as “may”, “will”, “expect”, “could”, “should”, “intend”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “remain”, “on track”, “design”, “target”, “objective”, “goal”, “forecast”, “projection”, “outlook”, “prospects”, “plan”, or similar terms. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Rather, they are based on Stellantis’ current state of knowledge, future expectations and projections about future events and are by their nature, subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. They relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur or exist in the future and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on them.
Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including: the ability of Stellantis to launch new products successfully and to maintain vehicle shipment volumes; changes in the global financial markets, general economic environment and changes in demand for automotive products, which is subject to cyclicality; Stellantis’ ability to successfully manage the industry-wide transition from internal combustion engines to full electrification; Stellantis’ ability to offer innovative, attractive products and to develop, manufacture and sell vehicles with advanced features including enhanced electrification, connectivity and autonomous-driving characteristics; Stellantis’ ability to produce or procure electric batteries with competitive performance, cost and at required volumes; Stellantis’ ability to successfully launch new businesses and integrate acquisitions; a significant malfunction, disruption or security breach compromising information technology systems or the electronic control systems contained in Stellantis’ vehicles; exchange rate fluctuations, interest rate changes, credit risk and other market risks; increases in costs, disruptions of supply or shortages of raw materials, parts, components and systems used in Stellantis’ vehicles; changes in local economic and political conditions; changes in trade policy, the imposition of global and regional tariffs or tariffs targeted to the automotive industry, the enactment of tax reforms or other changes in tax laws and regulations; the level of governmental economic incentives available to support the adoption of battery electric vehicles; the impact of increasingly stringent regulations regarding fuel efficiency requirements and reduced greenhouse gas and tailpipe emissions; various types of claims, lawsuits, governmental investigations and other contingencies, including product liability and warranty claims and environmental claims, investigations and lawsuits; material operating expenditures in relation to compliance with environmental, health and safety regulations; the level of competition in the automotive industry, which may increase due to consolidation and new entrants; Stellantis’ ability to attract and retain experienced management and employees; exposure to shortfalls in the funding of Stellantis’ defined benefit pension plans; Stellantis’ ability to provide or arrange for access to adequate financing for dealers and retail customers and associated risks related to the operations of financial services companies; Stellantis’ ability to access funding to execute its business plan; Stellantis’ ability to realize anticipated benefits from joint venture arrangements; disruptions arising from political, social and economic instability; risks associated with Stellantis’ relationships with employees, dealers and suppliers; Stellantis’ ability to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting; developments in labor and industrial relations and developments in applicable labor laws; earthquakes or other disasters; risks and other items described in Stellantis’ Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 and Current Reports on Form 6-K and amendments thereto filed with the SEC; and other risks and uncertainties.
Any forward-looking statements contained in this communication speak only as of the date of this document and Stellantis disclaims any obligation to update or revise publicly forward-looking statements. Further information concerning Stellantis and its businesses, including factors that could materially affect Stellantis’ financial results, is included in Stellantis’ reports and filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and AFM.
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