Stellantis and Leapmotor Co-Develop Affordable EV SUV for European Launch in 2028

On May 12, Stellantis Group and Leapmotor announced a deepened partnership, planning to launch a new affordable all-electric SUV in Europe by 2028. The vehicle will be sold under the Vauxhall brand and manufactured at the Zaragoza plant in Spain. With a length of approximately 4.5 meters, the model targets the C-segment SUV market, competing directly with vehicles such as the Volkswagen Tiguan and Škoda Elroq. The overall design is led by Opel-Vauxhall’s design studio in Germany, while hardware engineering is handled by local teams. Core electric components—including the motor, electronics, and battery—will all be supplied by Leapmotor. The vehicle will feature lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, built upon an evolved version of Leapmotor’s existing platform architecture and incorporating a significant proportion of Leapmotor’s self-produced parts. Florian Schütler, head of Vauxhall-Opel, emphasized that this vehicle is not merely a rebadged Chinese model but rather a jointly developed product resulting from clearly defined roles between both parties. The development process draws on Leapmotor’s “China speed” approach, while Vauxhall retains its brand identity in areas such as drivetrain, steering, cabin layout, lighting, and interior design. Notably, the car will feature physical buttons instead of an all-touchscreen interface to align with European user preferences. Leapmotor has independently developed the vehicle’s digital architecture, with around 65% of its components produced in-house—a key factor enabling low-cost development. Schütler noted that combining China’s engineering expertise in LFP battery technology will significantly reduce manufacturing costs.