Stellantis and China’s Leapmotor today paved the way for local assembly of Leapmotor electric vehicles at Stellantis’ Gurun plant, marking the first time Leapmotor models will be built in Malaysia.
The collaboration launches with a €5 million (RM24 million) investment and positions Malaysia as a regional hub for electric vehicle industrialisation under Stellantis’ roadmap.
Production will begin with the Leapmotor C10 before the end of 2025, leveraging Gurun’s established automotive infrastructure to scale output efficiently and distribute to neighbouring Asean markets.
This joint venture forms a key pillar of Stellantis’ Dare Forward 2030 strategy, which identifies the India & Asia Pacific region as a principal growth driver.
By integrating Leapmotor’s new energy vehicle expertise with Stellantis’ manufacturing scale and regional know-how, the partners aim to deliver advanced, affordable electric mobility across Southeast Asia.
Leapmotor’s leadership sees the Malaysia programme as a springboard for broader Southeast Asian expansion.
Founder and CEO Zhu Jiangming said local assembly would accelerate Leapmotor’s global footprint and serve as “a benchmark for opening up the entire Southeast Asian market.”
Leapmotor International CEO Tianshu Xin said the collaboration would deliver high-quality, technologically advanced EVs at accessible prices.
In a related development, Stellantis Malaysia has partnered with Public Bank to promote EV uptake through the “Paint the Town Green with EV Financing” campaign.
Public Bank’s market share of new EV financing reached 29.1 percent in 2024 and climbed to 33.5 percent by February 2025. The bank has earmarked RM100 billion in sustainable financing for green initiatives by 2030.
Under the campaign, Public Bank offers preferential interest rates starting at 0.38 percent per annum for customers financing the C10, which features a 69.9 kWh lithium-iron phosphate battery, a 214hp electric motor and a WLTP-rated range of 424km.
The vehicle’s award-winning design, five-star Euro NCAP safety rating and Level 2 ADAS further enhance its appeal.
