- Formed in 2015, Leapmotor hits million-sales mark.
- In the past year, Leapmotor has entered 30 countries.
- B10 and Ultra Hybrids expected to boost global sales.
Less than a decade after selling its very first car, Leapmotor has delivered its one-millionth vehicle. Perhaps more importantly, the first half of 2025 marked its first profitable period.
An important milestone, but given 97% of sales have been in China, the company acknowledges the work really starts now, to grow in global markets.
The brand only solidified its export infrastructure with a Stellantis joint venture, Leapmotor International, in 2023 and made its first significant global launch in 2024 with the C10 SUV.
"Growth has been exponential," says Franceso Giacalone, global head of Leapmotor International brand strategy, product and marketing. "Within the last three years, there has been a doubling of results: so 144,000, 293,000 and this year 600,000 vehicles are within reach.
“That's mostly China, but the global expansion is there. In just 12 months, Leapmotor has entered 30 markets and created 1700 points of sale, of which 800 are outside China.
“Globalisation has been possible largely due to the partnership that has been created with Stellantis. This allows Leapmotor to quickly reach customers all over the world."
The company's future strategy is to fill as many segments as possible, so that it has the right product portfolio to choose from for various regions.
Leapmotor's three core export models are currently (in order of launch) the TO3 hatchback, and the C10 and B10 SUVs. As an example of the cherry picking plan, only the SUVs are sold in New Zealand: the TO3 is a tiny city EV that's more suited to emerging markets and super-congested cities.
It's super-cheap, though. With government EV subsidies, the TO3 can be purchased in Italy for less than NZ$10,000. And yes, it is available in right-hand drive.
Future models from Leapmotor include the BO5 hatchback (2026) and a new compact-SUV (2027) that will be signficantly smaller than the new B10. The C16 large SUV, already on sale in China, is also a possibility for some export markets in the shorter term.
But nothing is off limits. The company is expanding into performance cars and even hard-core 4x4 models.
Giacalone gives the B10 as an example of a car that has been created with global markets in mind: "“For China, the B10 is somehow too small. In China, we have D-segment SUVs, E SUVs... bigger cars. So this is for outside China."
It's the B10 that's expected to contribute most to immediate global growth. That and Leapmotor's Ultra Hybrid technology, which is proving popular in C10 and being added to the B10 next year.
"The brand has delivered an average of 60,000 vehicles in the last 3 months, and B10 is contributing massively," says Giancarlo. "The C10 continues to sell well and the range extender is grabbing those customers who are keen to drive EV as a transition of technology."