Stellantis may sell Leapmotor EVs in India by year-end

Stellantis will roll out Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Leapmotor’s electric cars in the Indian market by the year end, in a move aimed at expanding its presence in the country’s growing EV sector.

In India, Stellantis currently markets the Jeep and Citroen brands.

“We are excited to announce the entry of the Leapmotor brand. We already have a strong presence with our Jeep and Citroen brands, and we deeply understand the strategic importance and immense potential that the Indian market holds,” Shailesh Hazela, chief executive officer and managing director of Stellantis India, said.

“Leapmotor’s approach to low-carbon mobility is in line with Stellantis’ strategy, which puts sustainability in the driver’s seat,” Stellantis said in a statement.

Stellantis has several factories in India, including one in Tamil Nadu that makes Citroen EVs. A subsidiary of Stellantis, Leapmotor was established in 2015 and focuses only on electric vehicles.

In 2022, Leapmotor began using a special battery system called cell-to-chassis (CTC), where the battery is built into the car’s frame.

In 2024, the company sold nearly 300,000 vehicles—double from the previous year.

Recently, Leapmotor launched the B10, a fully electric SUV with advanced driving features such as lidar sensors, which costs less than $18,000.

In 2023, Stellantis bought a 21% share in Leapmotor for $1.6 billion. They also started a joint company called Leapmotor International, where Stellantis owns 51%.