since 1976
since 1976
Last October 2023, Stellantis and Leapmotor formed a joint venture that marked a significant milestone poised to reshape the automotive realm. This joint-partnership, solidified with a shared goal on future electrification and sustainability, aims to break new ground for Leapmotor from the confines of the Chinese domestic market.
The genesis, which now forms Leapmotor International, is set to push the 51/49 Stellantis-led company through a monumental expansion by leveraging on Stellantis’ worldwide presence and strategic guidance. The aspiring BEV automaker has clocked positive sales growth of 400,000 units sold right until July 2024, and crowned as one of China’s top 3 EV startup brands in 2023.
Leapmotor is ready for its introduction in the India and Asia Pacific region, with Malaysia leading the way and being the first market to launch the brand as part of its expansion strategy for the region. Markets including Thailand and Australia will follow suit. The Leapmotor C10 is the brand’s first global product, showcasing Leapmotor's take on innovative mobility in collaboration with Stellantis. The Leapmotor C10 as the inaugural model is curated to deliver a seamless BEV transition combined with award-winning design, advanced technology, and exceptional value.
Leapmotor, known as “Ling Pao” in Chinese, embodies the philosophy of "Zero to Leap" – reflecting the brand's drive towards zero-emission mobility amalgamated with state-of-the-art technology. Being a brand driven by passion, doing what’s familiar is akin to chartering over calm waters, but inventing from a blank canvas is what pushes Leapmotor from 0 to 1.
What Sets Leapmotor Apart
Defying all industry norms, Leapmotor has built its expertise from the ground up, forgoing the reliance on legacy components that often define traditional automakers. This exceptional take upon venturing into the automotive industry was pioneered by Zhu Jiangming, Leapmotor Founder, Chairman and CEO.
Zhu Jiangming's broad expertise in Artificial Intelligence, software, and industrial automation development serves as a testament in driving Leapmotor towards the exploration of cutting-edge, highly connected digital vehicular systems.
One of Leapmotor's most significant technological achievements is the Lingxin 01, known to be China's first domestically produced AI chip. Unveiled at CES Asia 2018, the Lingxin 01 is a groundbreaking technology designed for deep learning, high-performance computing, and laying the base towards autonomous driving capability.
Setting A BEV Foundation
Driven by the growing demand of New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) in China, and with a global expansion in mind to accelerate sales in other regions, Leapmotor soon embarked on a journey to introduce a range of contemporary Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs).
Leapmotor's strategic focus on streamlining research and development, combined with a robust automotive components ecosystem such as intelligent cockpit and driving controllers, software and connected technologies, enabled the company to rapidly progress in expanding its BEV lineup.
Backed by a talented team of engineers with diverse OEM and automotive background experience, a significant majority of its workforce are dedicated to research and development, placing key emphasis on developing all electric traction motors and LED lighting components in-house for cost-effectiveness and manufacturing efficiency.
This unique approach of Leapmotor’s vehicle assembly process further sets it apart from traditional automakers. Instead of sourcing vital components from external providers, Leapmotor focuses on developing its own technologies, covering from research to production, upping the advantage of building BEVs at a competitive price point with state-of-the-art features.
The brand’s unwavering commitment to innovation has led to the development and patenting of over 443 technologies, including core control instruments that are fitted in all Leapmotor models such as the mid-sized C01 sedan, the C11 SUV, the flagship C16, the compact T03 and C10 SUV. These in-house developed components encompass Smart Control and Connectivity systems, ADAS control units, and Vehicle Lighting modules.
The Leapmotor C10 & Beyond
The Leapmotor C10 is positioned as a SUV to cater both young professionals and families, bridging innovative design, sustainability and superior engineering altogether as a holistic offering. The minimalist yet sophisticated nature of the Leapmotor C10 has garnered international recognition, including the prestigious 2023 International CMF Design and the 2024 French Design Award.
Built on the innovative Leap 3.0 modular platform, the Leapmotor C10 features a cutting-edge Lithium Iron Phosphate battery pack developed in-house. The power unit, built in with an AI Battery Management System (BMS), is integrated into an advanced Cell-to-Chassis (CTC) architecture. The Leapmotor C10's CTC architecture offers a range of benefits, including enhanced safety, battery efficiency, and driving refinement.
It incorporates the battery pack directly into the vehicle's chassis, offering 17.5% improvement in battery space layout for improved thermal management to prevent heat spread for up to 720 minutes. Furthermore, it enables flexible charging inputs, including 800V/400V and 4C/2C supercharging technology. Subsequently, the CTC architecture improves ride and handling with a rated 42,500Nm/deg torsional rigidity.
The CTC architecture is then seamlessly integrated with Leapmotor's trademark "Four-Leaf Clover" Central Electronic and Electrical Architecture (E/E). This innovative E/E system is then unified by a high-performance System-on-Chip (SoC) and a single Microcontroller Unit (MCU) to centralise all control of the cockpit, driving, power, and body domains.
On the digital front, the Four-Leaf Clover architecture includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip not only to deliver an immersive digital experience, but first to achieve cabin, driving, and parking integration altogether. This setup eradicates all forms of low latency and delivers instantaneous communication between critical components within the Leapmotor C10’s intelligent ecosystem. Additionally, the Leapmotor C10 is bestowed with a comprehensive suite of safety features, earning it an ADAS Level 2+ rating.
The Best of Both Worlds
Now with the world being Leapmotor’s oyster, the burgeoning BEV startup is steadfast in advancing all of its technical know-hows to further elevate its vehicle offerings to a diverse audience globally. Uniquely, Leapmotor’s approach on low-carbon mobility is in-line with Stellantis’s 2030 Dare Forward strategy, which puts sustainability in the driver’s seat, and to achieve carbon net zero by 2038 through a bold strategic plan.
Leapmotor International is set to take on the global stage with the C10 and T03, which is available in both left and right-hand drive configurations. Its global pathway towards expansion will include Europe by September 2024 through 200 points of sales by the end of the year, and 500 points by 2026. Additional regions targeted for growth include India, Asia Pacific, the Middle East & Africa, and South America.
The partnership with Stellantis will further drive Leapmotor’s product lineup expansion that will see the introduction of five new models in the coming years, covering a diverse range of segments from compact to full-size vehicles built to meet the requirements of its discerning global customers.
