Stellantis Malaysia has started local assembly of Leapmotor electric vehicles at its Gurun plant in Kedah, beginning with the C10 SUV.
The move gives Leapmotor a local production base in Malaysia at a useful time, as the market shifts into a new phase where fully imported electric vehicles (EVs) no longer enjoy the same easy tax-free ride as before.
The C10 is already in production at Gurun. The smaller B10 is next, with assembly due to begin before the end of 2026, according to Stellantis Malaysia.
Stellantis has allocated €2.23 million (RM10.5 million) for local assembly development, while another €3.1 million (RM14.5 million) has been set aside for production-line and infrastructure upgrades at the Kedah facility. In total, that puts the investment at roughly RM25 million.
Local assembly should help Stellantis keep Leapmotor models more competitive in Malaysia, especially as more brands look for ways to protect EV pricing after the imported-EV incentive period.
Stellantis Asean managing director Isaac Yeo said the Gurun start is an important step for Malaysia’s EV industrialisation and for Stellantis’ regional plans.
As EV assembly is not just a case of putting together body panels and trim, the plant’s workforce has also been trained to handle Leapmotor’s software-heavy vehicle systems and high-voltage electric vehicle hardware rated up to 800 V.
Stellantis said the Gurun operation follows a global assembly and quality framework used by Stellantis and Leapmotor. For now, production is aimed at the Malaysian market, although export opportunities to other Asean countries are still being studied.
Stellantis Malaysia also used the C10 CKD announcement to formalise Cycle & Carriage Group’s role in the Leapmotor business here. The distributor agreement was signed by Cycle & Carriage chief executive officer Adrian Short and Yeo, following a working relationship between both companies that began in 2024.
Cycle & Carriage is already part of Leapmotor’s retail build-up in Malaysia. Its current locations include George Town in Penang, Pavilion Bukit Jalil and Paradigm Mall Johor Baru, while Glenmarie houses the brand’s flagship sales, service and spare parts (3S) centre.
Across Malaysia, Leapmotor now has 12 sales points and six service centres, with more locations planned before year-end.
