A growing number of Chinese manufacturers are keen to venture into Europe, but European Union leaders have done everything they can to put obstacles in their way, imposing particularly high tariffs on products from brands that manufacture their cars in China.
According to the European Union, the purpose of the tariff barriers is to encourage manufacturers to produce their cars on European soil, and it appears to be paying off, as Leapmotor, a young and still largely unknown brand, is moving towards establishing a factory in Europe.
Global automotive group Stellantis and its Chinese partner, Leapmotor, plan to invest $200 million in a spanish factory to produce the B10 electric crossover for the European market starting in 2026.
The Spanish factory is located in Zaragoza, in the northeast of the country, but no further details have been announced by the manufacturer yet.
According to news agencies, Stellantis and Leapmotor also want to benefit from government aid, so the two companies are seeking to purchase more components from Spanish suppliers to obtain the highest level of government support.
According to media reports, Leapmotor and Stellantis have canceled the original plan to manufacture the B10 in Poland. The Chinese government pressured its automakers to halt large investments in European countries that supported the imposition of additional tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, which Poland had supported.
Leapmotor said the B10, which made its continental debut at the Paris Motor Show, is the first of its B-series of electric vehicles to be launched overseas, while Stellantis said the model will provide consumers outside China with high-tech, affordable electric vehicles.
The B10 is an electric sports car manufactured in China, with assembly scheduled to begin in Europe in 2026. The promising sports car produces 214 horsepower and is expected to cost less than 30,000€ in Europe.
