One more. LEAPMOTOR will manufacture its electric cars in Spain, as confirmed by Antonio Filosa, CEO of Stellantis to Automotive News Europe. The news emphasizes the role that Spain is playing among the most affordable electric cars and how our country has a very anticipated type of car in its hands but also sows some doubts.
Confirmation. “We have recently announced an industrial collaboration to provide Leapmotor for capacity in one of our Spanish plants to manufacture their cars on its platform. It will begin very soon.” With these words, Philose confirmed Automotive News Europe That, indeed, it will be one of the plants that the automotive giant has in Spain that will produce its electric cars.
Why does an electric car have less autonomy than the announcing
Stellantis has factories in Madrid, Zaragoza and Vigo but for now it is not clear which is the chosen plant or what cars are the ones that will be assembled. Nor will the process be carried out since the Polish production of the T03 Leapmotor that was being carried out through kits He stopped last April.
What and who? As we say, from Stellantis they have not given many more signs beyond that cars will begin to be manufactured next year. Yes we can imagine that, because of the cast that Stellantis has for Spain, Zaragoza has all ballots. From there come the small electric ones of the group such as the Opel Corsa, Peugeot 208 and Lancia Ypsilon. In addition, it will be next to the battery factory that Stellantis will raise with catl.
What cars will also be manufactured is also a mystery but everything points again, that they will be the LEAPMOTOR B10 In a first start. This is a 4.52 -meter car with a slightly fair battery if we want is very close to 20,000 euros.
It is possible that the LEAPMOTOR B05an even cheaper option that seen what was seen well could be at the border of 25,000 euros before aid. Of course, they are at the moment speculative information taking into account how little we already know. All of the above has to be confirmed.
What is Leapmotor? Leapmotor is a Chinese company with highly promising electric cars. The company was partially acquired by Stellantis In a play to put Chinese and cheap electric cars in its portfolio.
Stellantis’s experience in China has not been good and has recently decided to dissolve all its collaborations in the country. In return, what he did was put money in this company to have access to its R&D and, in addition, completely control the distribution of the brand outside of China.
Leapmotor, on the other hand, won an injection of money but also the open door to export cars without the obligation to mount a entire distribution and after -sales network in other countries. The Stellantis network is the one carried out by that service.
How will it be manufactured? It is another of the great unknowns. Until last April, Stellantis has been manufacturing in Poland El T03, the cheapest electric car that Leapmotor had in Spain and that We could try a few months ago. This production was carried out with kits arriving from China but Europe has denied that it serves to skip tariffs on electric cars.
The result is that Stellantis has stopped producing this car on Polish soil, since these electric cars became increasing and lost their true attraction: the price. It is expected, therefore, that the company has in mind to produce its cars here (or much of them) if you want to avoid the famous tariffs.
It is a case, therefore, similar to omoda. This last company, owned by Chery, wanted to manufacture the OMODA 5 electric in the old Barcelona plant in Nissan. However, before this attitude of Europe has delayed his plans. And, in the background, it plans the shadow that the Chinese government has sent the manufacturers stop their investments if Europe does not yield In this position.
Hope. The good part of history is that, without a doubt, it is a new impulse to Spanish factories. Spain is becoming the ideal space to manufacture The most affordable electric cars of the brands that are already settled in our country.
Labor and energy costs are lower than in other parts of Europe but, in addition, there is already a labor and industrial structure that allows the assembly lines to be adapted with a lower investment than if it had to create a whole plant from scratch.
In addition, electric car sales of between 25,000 and 30,000 euros are expected to continue growing. Manufacturers need to sell this type of cars to fulfill the commitments on emission.
The doubts. The most serious doubts come with the hug that the public wants or is willing to give to this type of vehicles. This week we have known that Ford will fire 1,000 employees In Colonia (Germany) because their numbers do not endure the investment made. Of course, in this case we talk that Ford is having difficulty putting cars on the market that, Actually, they are Volkswagen of origin.
Although The electric car of 25,000 euros The manufacturers’ salvation table is craving, the truth is that, for the moment, They are vehicles that force certain concessions and discomforts in long trips. And that, for the moment, continues to cause them to be most complicated cars to place that those with the highest price but whose resignations They begin to give completely the same.
Photo | Stellantis
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