Stellantis and Leapmotor on May 8 announced plans to expand their strategic partnership, with a new battery-electric Opel C-SUV potentially entering production at Stellantis’ Zaragoza plant in Spain in 2028 alongside Leapmotor’s B10 model. The expansion builds on Stellantis’ approximately 21% stake in Leapmotor and the 51/49 Leapmotor International joint venture launched in 2024. The companies also intend to allocate a future Leapmotor vehicle to the Villaverde, Madrid plant from the first half of 2028 and are discussing transferring that plant’s ownership to Leapmotor International’s Spanish subsidiary.
Highlights
- New all-electric Opel C-SUV would join a new line at the Figueruelas plant in Zaragoza alongside the Peugeot 208 and Lancia Ypsilon, with a potential 2028 start of production.
- Leapmotor’s C-SUV B10 model would also begin production at Zaragoza, potentially as early as 2026, drawing on Leapmotor International ecosystem components to reduce costs.
- A future Leapmotor nameplate would be allocated to Villaverde from the first half of 2028, with the plant’s ownership under discussion for transfer to Leapmotor International’s Spanish subsidiary.
- Leapmotor International recorded more than 40,000 European shipments in 2025 across more than 850 sales and service points.
A Two-Plant European Manufacturing Reset
The partnership expansion centers on two Spanish plants. At Figueruelas, Zaragoza — Opel’s historical manufacturing site, where more than 10 million Opel Corsa units have been produced since 1982 — Stellantis is assessing a new line for the Opel C-SUV BEV. The plant currently produces the Peugeot 208 and Lancia Ypsilon. Leapmotor would also bring B10 production to Figueruelas, drawing on what Stellantis describes as Leapmotor International-sourced components to enhance affordability for European customers.
At Villaverde in Madrid, the planned end of Citroën C4 production has left the plant’s future in question. The companies intend to allocate a new Leapmotor vehicle there from the first half of 2028, with manufacturing aligned to Made-in-Europe requirements. The vehicles would be sold by Leapmotor International across European and Middle East and Africa markets. Plant ownership is under discussion for potential transfer to Leapmotor International’s Spanish subsidiary.
Joint Purchasing and Component Sourcing
The companies also intend to expand Leapmotor International’s joint purchasing program. Stellantis said the goal is to boost price competitiveness by leveraging the Chinese new energy vehicle supply chain while drawing on European supply chain capabilities to strengthen resilience and shorten time-to-market for new models. The arrangement is positioned as a way to lift Stellantis’ BEV affordability across Europe.
Antonio Filosa, Stellantis CEO, said in the announcement that the plan “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.” Zhu Jiangming, Leapmotor founder and CEO, said the joint venture has launched the Leapmotor brand on five continents in less than three years.
Where the Plan Sits Versus Today’s Opel Lineup
Opel’s current battery-electric SUV portfolio anchors at the Grandland Electric on the STLA Medium platform, which carries a starting price of €51,750 in Germany for the AWD variant, and the smaller Frontera Electric, which begins at €28,990. A Zaragoza-built C-SUV BEV using Leapmotor International components would sit between those reference points and target the higher-volume affordability segment that Stellantis has flagged as a competitive weakness in Europe. The Leapmotor B10 itself starts at €29,900 in Europe in its hybrid variant, illustrating the cost ceiling the new Opel will need to compete against.
The companies said feasibility studies and pre-development work are progressing under existing arrangements. Any broader cooperation remains subject to definitive agreements and customary regulatory approvals.
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