Leapmotor's B10 compact SUV has entered production at Stellantis' Zaragoza plant in Spain — the Chinese EV maker's second attempt at building cars in Europe, and its first since the Polish experiment ended in March 2025.

The company (HKEX: 9863) confirmed the start of production on Monday at the Paris Motor Show 2026, where founder Zhu Jiangming and Leapmotor International CEO Danilo Annese jointly unveiled the new models. Leapmotor called it a key milestone in its "in Europe, for Europe" localization strategy.

That's the strategy's whole point: the Zaragoza facility uses Stellantis' existing manufacturing infrastructure to build vehicles specifically for the European market, tariff-proofing a Chinese brand on Spanish soil.

Why the timing matters

The production start came slightly late. Chinese media reported in August 2025 that Zaragoza was scheduled to begin building the B10 in the third quarter of 2026, followed by the B05. The official announcement trailed that schedule by a modest margin — not a crisis, but a reminder that localization timetables in this industry rarely survive contact with reality.

This is attempt number two. Leapmotor began producing the T03 small EV at Stellantis' Polish plant in 2024; Stellantis ended that project on March 30, 2025. Zaragoza now carries the localization flag alone.

Stellantis widened the bet on May 8 this year, announcing plans to add a production line at the plant for a new Opel C-segment electric SUV due in 2028, and to transfer its Villaverde plant in Madrid to Leapmotor International's Spanish subsidiary. Note the verb: announced. These are intentions, not confirmed output.

What arrived in Paris?

The B10 itself isn't new metal. It went on sale in China in April 2025 and launched in Europe at IAA Mobility that September. An updated version reached China this July starting at 99,800 yuan — about $14,830 at current rates, or roughly the price of a well-specced Golf in the European mindset.

The genuine European debut belonged to the A05, known internationally as the B03:

• Launched in China on August 11; a sedan there, effectively a compact hatchback
• 4,200 mm long, 2,605 mm wheelbase
• 39.8-kWh and 53-kWh battery packs, CLTC ranges of 405 km and 510 km respectively
• Qualcomm's 8295 chip standard across the lineup
• Second model on the A platform after the A10 small SUV; competes in China with BYD's Dolphin and Geely's Xingyuan

Leapmotor has yet to announce a European launch date or pricing for the A05. Until it does, this is a debut of presence, not of product.

The flagship D19 SUV also appeared, showcasing range-extender tech and a cell-to-body architecture. The show itself is Leapmotor's largest European outing to date — a 500-square-meter booth, up from a first appearance in 2024.

Leapmotor owners also gain access to Stellantis' Free2move Charge ecosystem, tapping more than 1 million public charging points across Europe. That's the quiet advantage of the partnership: distribution and infrastructure a young Chinese brand couldn't build alone in a decade.

The numbers underneath

Stellantis invested €1.5 billion in October 2023 for roughly 20% of Leapmotor, becoming its largest outside shareholder. The pair then formed Leapmotor International, a joint venture Stellantis controls at 51%, with exclusive rights to sell and manufacture Leapmotor products outside Greater China.

Overseas volume is central to Leapmotor's 2026 target of 1 million deliveries. The company delivered a record 105,656 vehicles in September — its third straight month above 100,000. Through the first nine months, deliveries hit 666,539, up 68.52% year-on-year and already past its full-year 2025 total of 596,555. At this pace, the million looks less like ambition than arithmetic.

Zaragoza's actual output rate will tell us whether European localization can match it. Watch for the A05's European pricing, the B05's production start, and whether the 2028 Opel line materializes on schedule.