Will Leapmotor come to the Netherlands?

Lots of Chinese car brands

Chinese car brands abound. We briefly mention NIO, XPENG, BYD, Aiways, Hongqi, JAC, MG, Ora and Seres as examples. Another player may be added in the near future, as Leapmotor has set its sights on the European market with the goal of boosting sales of the brand.

Leapmotor sales figures

Leapmotor has been operating in the Chinese market for about eight years now. That’s going quite nicely. In 2022, Leapmotor sold nearly 111,000 battery-electric cars on Chinese soil, versus just over 44,000 in 2021. For imaging purposes, Volkswagen, BYD and Toyota realize about two million vehicles per year in the same market. Exports to Europe, Australia and New Zealand should help Leapmotor take the next steps.

The plan

The brand is therefore developing five new models on a new platform, CEO Zhu Jiangming confirmed. One such model is the Leapmotor C10, Leapmotor ‘s first car aimed at the international market. According to the top executive, the brand aims to sell not only cars, but also technology. In fact, other parties can license Leapmotor’s technology. Consider EV platforms and battery and motor technology. Other brands do the same. XPENG is partnering with Volkswagen, for example. Or rather, Volkswagen is using an EV platform from XPENG. Audi, on the other hand, is in talks with SAIC Motor Corp about an EV platform. So it’s not very crazy.

According to the top executive, brand must move quickly toward 500,000 to 1 million cars annually to keep its head above water. That is what the brand is making its case for over the next two to three years.

Lineup of Leapmotor

It is not only the Leapmotor C10 that is important to the brand. The company already has three other models in its lineup, which are the C11, C01 and the T03. The C11 and C01 are an electric crossover and sedan, respectively. The T03 concerns an electric city mini, something we are urgently waiting for in Europe. The specs of the Leapmotor T03 are promising: 280 kilometers of range (WLTP) and a 70 kW electric motor.

So Leapmotor seems ready for the big move. Its arrival in the Netherlands is not yet certain. It is possible that the brand will seek cooperation with a major importer, such as PON or Louwman. Time will tell.