FAW Group In May 2020, Leapmotor and
state-owned Chinese automaker
FAW forged a strategic partnership to jointly develop intelligent electric vehicle models. The agreement also involves the joint cooperation on R&D, manufacture, production and application of intelligent electric vehicle core parts, and the further research on the development of key basic technologies and the innovation of production measures. In August 2023,
FAW-VW, a joint venture between FAW and
Volkswagen Group, entered discussions with Leapmotor to explore the potential acquisition of a platform for manufacturing new electric cars under the
Jetta brand, specifically tailored for the Chinese market. In March 2025,
FAW Group and Leapmotor signed the MOU on strategic cooperation, under which the two parties will jointly develop passenger vehicles and collaborate on auto parts. In April 2025 at the
Auto Shanghai, Leapmotor chairman Zhu Jiangming revealed that the two companies have finalized their partnership and will jointly develop a model for the
Hongqi brand targeting overseas markets. Mass production of the new vehicle is set to begin in the second half of 2026 at Leapmotor's Hangzhou plant. The new Hongqi model will be built on the same platform as
Leapmotor B10 with both battery electric and range-extender powertrain. In December 2025, Leapmotor announced that
FAW Group would acquire 5% of its shares for 3.744 billion yuan. Following this acquisition, the stake held by Zhu Jiangming and other shareholders, who together form the single largest shareholder group, will dilute from 23.75% to 22.56%, while Stellantis' stake will decrease from 19.99% to 18.99%. The investment funds from FAW will be allocated in proportions of 50%, 25%, and 25% for research and development, supplementing working capital and general corporate purposes, and expanding the sales and service network while enhancing brand awareness, respectively.
Stellantis In October 2023,
Stellantis acquired a 20% stake in Leapmotor for €1.5 billion. As part of the agreement, Leapmotor International, a
joint venture 51% owned by Stellantis and 49% owned by Leapmotor, was established to handle distribution and production of Leapmotor cars outside China, supporting the company's expansion plans, notably in Europe. In February 2024,
Reuters reported that Stellantis was exploring the possibility of producing a Leapmotor model at
its Mirafiori plant in
Turin, Italy. In June, production of the
Leapmotor T03 city car began at
its plant in
Tychy, Poland. In November, as Poland voted in line with
EU tariffs on Chinese-made EVs, production of T03 in the country was already put under question. It was also reported that Leapmotor International and Stellantis have cancelled the plan of manufacturing the B10 model in Poland and decided to move its production to Slovakia and Germany. In March 2025, T03 production in Poland ended. In October 2025, it was reported that Stellantis was to market a
rebadged variant of the
Leapmotor B10 under the
Opel brand for the European market. Stellantis was reportedly considering producing it in its plant in
Zaragoza, Spain. As of January 2026, Stellantis is to start production of the B10 in one of its plants in Spain. That month, it was also reported that Leapmotor's
range extender technology was being considered for use in Stellantis vehicles in Europe, while European-market Leapmotor models could use existing Stellantis
platforms. == Sponsorship ==