On October 16, 2026, Leapmotor B10 started mass production at the Zaragoza plant in Spain; leveraging its cooperation with Stellantis, it is produced on the same lines as the Opel Corsa, Peugeot 208 and Lancia Ypsilon. The two sides are also building a battery assembly base in Malián, extending localization from complete vehicles to key components. Since 2026, Leapmotor has exceeded 100,000 monthly sales for three consecutive months, ranking fourth among global new energy vehicle brands. This dual-plant layout uses a joint venture and shared lines to reuse a mature manufacturing system, offering a reference for Chinese automakers' European localization, but capacity ramp-up, quality stability and delivery coordination still await data verification.
Leapmotor B10 Starts Production in Spain: A European Manufacturing Model of Vehicle Co-Line Production + Local Battery Supply
On October 16, 2026, mass production of the Leapmotor B10 officially began at the Zaragoza plant in Spain. This is an industrialization outcome achieved after the strategic cooperation between Leapmotor and Stellantis was implemented, and it also means that Leapmotor has achieved a breakthrough in localized mass production in Europe. Compared with simply exporting complete vehicles, this project moves the manufacturing stage into the heart of Europe and incorporates battery supply into the collaboration system in the same region.
Co-Line Production: Leveraging a Mature Manufacturing System for New Models
The Zaragoza plant relies on Stellantis' manufacturing system and has a 43-year history of automobile manufacturing. According to information disclosed by both parties, the Leapmotor B10 has officially joined the plant's production system and is produced alongside the Opel Corsa, Peugeot 208, and Lancia Ypsilon. To meet the B10's production requirements, Leapmotor and Stellantis engineering teams jointly advanced production line adaptation.
For Chinese automakers going global, the direct significance of co-line production lies in shortening the startup cycle for localized manufacturing: new models can be introduced based on the existing plant's process equipment, quality system, and skilled workers, without building capacity from scratch. At the same time, mixed-line production of multiple brands and models places higher demands on production takt, process changeovers, and consistency management; production line adaptation has therefore become a key process in advancing the project. Leapmotor regards this arrangement as the industrialization of its cooperation with Stellantis, rather than a one-sided capacity export.
Mallén Battery Assembly: Localization Extends from Complete Vehicles to Key Components
At the same time as vehicle mass production, both parties are building a localized battery assembly base in Mallén, Spain, focused on battery module assembly and related key processes. As a result, Leapmotor's localized manufacturing in Europe extends from vehicle production to battery supply, forming a manufacturing collaboration system closer to local production needs.
From an industrial chain layout perspective, battery module assembly near vehicle production sites helps reduce cross-border transportation links for key components and improves responsiveness to local production rhythms. For automakers going global, having both vehicle and battery ends supported in the same region is often seen as one sign of deeper localization. However, public information has not yet disclosed the battery base's specific capacity scale, production start schedule, and local supply ratio.
Division of Cooperation and Statements from Both Sides
The project is jointly advanced by Leapmotor and Stellantis, with the division of labor reflecting a combination of “global technology + European industrial capability.” Silvia Vernetti, Head of Joint Ventures and Strategic Planning at Stellantis, said the project can combine global technology, competitiveness, and European industrial capability. Zhu Jiangming, founder of Leapmotor, said the coordinated layout of the two plants in Spain is an important milestone in Leapmotor's international development.
In terms of cooperation structure, Stellantis provides its manufacturing system and plant operation experience in Spain, while Leapmotor provides vehicle products and new energy technology capabilities; the two parties implement local manufacturing in Europe through joint ventures and co-line production. This model differs from building a wholly owned plant; its implementation speed depends more on the efficiency of production line renovation at existing plants and the depth of collaboration between the two engineering teams.
Sales Foundation and Its Supporting Relationship with the European Rollout Rhythm
While manufacturing implementation is underway, Leapmotor's sales scale provides a demand-side foundation. Since 2026, Leapmotor has achieved monthly sales exceeding 100,000 units for three consecutive months, ranking fourth among global new energy vehicle brands. Scaled sales data provide support at the product and supply chain levels for introducing overseas capacity.
What bears watching is that the significance of localized mass production in Europe ultimately comes down to cadence: the ramp-up speed of the vehicle plant, quality consistency under shared-line production, and the efficiency of coordination between the Malian battery assembly base and the vehicle production line will all affect Leapmotor's delivery capability in the European market. Quantitative indicators for these links have not yet been disclosed, and the project's actual pull-through effect still needs to be verified by subsequent data.
Observation
The "dual-factory" layout formed by the Zaragoza vehicle plant and the Malian battery assembly base offers a referenceable path for Chinese automakers entering Europe: reuse mature manufacturing systems through joint-venture shared-line production, while advancing local supporting capacity in key component segments. Whether this model can achieve stable performance in capacity, cost, and delivery cadence will determine whether it has replication value.
