Stellantis confirms Leapmotor for Malaysia - Global volume less than Proton, can it succeed here?

Stellantis has confirmed that Chinese electric vehicle company Leapmotor, which it has a 20% stake in, will be launched in Malaysia.

No timeline was mentioned but considering that Leapmotor don’t have any right-hand drive models yet, the brand’s local launch is still some years away.

The company’s presentation materials suggests that Leapmotor will be positioned at the lower end of the price spectrum.

Local assembly (CKD) is also under study, along with Jeep and Citroen.

Also read: Stellantis Malaysia to re-launch Jeep and Alfa Romeo

Stellantis now owns for the former Naza Automotive Manufacturing’s Gurun plant. The plant currently makes the Peugeot 3008 and Peugeot 5008. The Peugeot Landtrek and Peugeot 408 are expected to join the French marque’s CKD line-up later this year.

“Stellantis is not small. Stellantis consists of 14 different brands in the world,” said Managing Director Jamie Morais.

“Just to share with you, somethings that are in our radar. We are looking in the mass market – Citroen. We’ve got Leapmotor in the affordable EV,” he added.

Leapmotor was established in 2015, based in Hangzhou, where Geely is also located. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2022 but was later rescued by Stellantis.

In October 2023, Stellantis paid 1.5 billion Euros for a 20 percent stake in Leapmotor, as well as exclusive rights to export Leapmotor vehicles. Overseas sales will be managed by a new 51:49 Stellantis-led joint-venture company Leapmotor International.

Leapmotor’s lower priced model in China is the T03. It’s A-segment hatchback with battery capacity ranging from 21.6 kWh to 41.3 kWh, with a range of 403 km (CLTC). It’s priced from 49,900 Yuan to RM 69,900 Yuan (~RM 32.7k - RM 45.8k).

Malaysia has a RM 100,000 floor price limit for imported battery EVs (BEVs), but locally assembled models are not subject to government restrictions.

They also have a sedan, the C01, priced from 139,800 Yuan to 158,800 Yuan (~RM 91.6k - RM 104k).

There’s also the C11, which is among Leapmotor’s more interesting models. It’s an extended range electric vehicle (E-REV), meaning that it’s an electric vehicle with its own on-board generator. Basically, it’s a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), but the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated works only as a generator, it doesn’t drive the wheels.

There was also a 1.2-litre turbocharged variant, but it has been discontinued for 2024.

The Leapmotor C11 has a claimed fuel consumption of 5.2-litre/100 km (CLTC). Battery capacity ranges from 30.1 kWh to 43.74 kWh. Together with the petrol engine, it has a theoretical range of 925 km to 1,005 km, depending on battery capacity. Used purely as an electric vehicle, it has an electric-only driving range of 138 km to 205 km, depending on battery capacity.

In China, the Leapmotor C11 is priced from 148,800 Yuan to 185,800 Yuan (~RM 95.8k - RM 121.7k). China extends electric vehicle subsidies to plug-in hybrids too, but not Malaysia, which limits its price competitiveness here.

Last year, Leapmotor sold just 144,155 units, almost all in China. The figure is 29 percent higher than 2022, but Leapmotor is among the weaker car brands in China.

For reference, even Proton was able to shift 154,611 units last year.