The first brand in the Stellantis stable to develop a model based on Leapmotor hardware will be **Opel/Vauxhall, but this is small comfort for engineers that will leave the marque by the end of 2027. *****
Overnight Stellantis confirmed it will begin building the Leapmotor B10 at its factory in Zaragoza, Spain, possibly as early as this year.
In Europe, it will be the first Leapmotor vehicle to have been made; and means that the B10 can avoid EU tariffs on made-in-China EVs (up to 35) which could be up to 35% of its GDP. 4 per cent) .
It is also collaborating with the companies on an Opel electric SUV. Opel will design the SUV at its headquarters in Rüsselsheim, Germany, but it will be based on engineering done in Germany and China.
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Leapmotor B10
A new SUV, the firms said, will combine the “latest Leapmotor electric architecture and battery technology” with Opel design and its ‘on-board experience’ ( chassis engineering as well as lightning and seating technology)
It appears the new SUV, based on Opel’s teaser image, has its silhouette and door aperture with the B10, but will be made of special sheet metal and the brand’.
Assuming the B10 and the unnamed Opel SUV will be produced in the same plant, it’s probably safe to assume that the two cars will share a platform, motors and battery tech. The B10 currently has a 132kW/175Nm or 160kW/240NM motor with the rear wheels of it, and 56kWh or 67kWh battery.
4 B10 Paraphrasingr A 5 metres long Opel SUV is roughly the same length, so if it’s neatly between the Frontera and Grandland (bottom), the latter of which has a battery-electric drivetrain.
Opel and its unions have confirmed to WardsAuto the brand will axe 650 engineering jobs in Germany, leaving around 1000 people to concentrate on artificial intelligence, lighting, driver assistance, software and battery technology.
Prior to its purchase by the PSA Group, Opel employed around 7700 engineers, and was GM’s R&D hub for the European market, as well as small cars. Last month a report emerged claiming Stellantis won’t cull any of its marques, but will move to focus on four core global brands: Jeep, Ram, Peugeot and Fiat.
Currently the Zaragoza plant produces the Peugeot 208, Lancia Ypsilon, and Opel Corsa, all of which are based on the Common Modular Platform (CMP).
It was opened in 1982 by General Motors, several years before Spain joined the European Economic Community, the precursor to today’s European Union (EU), and has been home to all six generations of the Opel Corsa – many exporting as the Holden Barina.
Zaragoza’s other Opel vehicles include the Kadett, Astra, Tigra, Meriva, Combo and Crossland. Following the sale of Opel/Vauxhall to PSA Group in 2017, it began making models for other brands, including the Citroen C3 Aircross.
But Zaragoza may not be the only European Stellantis factory to produce a Lean motor model; an unspecified model is likely to be produced in the company’s plant in Madrid from 2028. Today, this factory is only producing the Citroen C4, the lifecycle for which will end around 2028.
Unlike Zaragoza, Stellantis is considering selling the Madrid factory to Leapmotor. Stellantis went into partnership with Leapmotor in 2023, purchasing a 21 per cent stake in the automaker and becoming its largest single shareholder.
In addition, the two companies also formed a joint venture where Stellantis owns 51 per cent stake (the brand outside China) of which is behind the company’s non-China presence.
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