China News: Leapmotor B10 production began on 16 October 2026 at Stellantis’ Figueruelas plant near Zaragoza, Spain, making the electric SUV the Chinese carmaker’s first series model built in Europe. The move lets Leapmotor sell European-assembled cars while EU tariffs on China-made EVs stay in force.
Key facts
- A ceremony on 16 October 2026 marked the start of B10 series output at Figueruelas, a 43-year-old plant with about 4,400 workers and an annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles.
- Initial B10 capacity is planned at 40,000 vehicles a year, according to electrive; customer deliveries are scheduled for December 2026 to January 2027.
- Battery packs come from a new Leapmotor plant in Mallén, about 30 km away, rated at 60,000 packs a year in phase one. The cells are still shipped from China.
- Stellantis owns about 20% of Leapmotor and 51% of Leapmotor International, the joint venture that sells the brand outside China.
- The B05 hatchback is due to follow in Zaragoza in the first quarter of 2027.
What does Leapmotor B10 production in Spain involve?
Figueruelas already builds the Opel Corsa, Peugeot 208 and Lancia Ypsilon. The B10 now shares those lines. ChinaEV Home, which attended the ceremony, reports that converting the plant took just over a year and that pre-production cars were built from August to train staff. Zhu Jiangming, Leapmotor’s founder, chairman and CEO, put the number of new industrial jobs at about 450, with roughly 600 people involved once transferred workers are counted.
The car itself is a 4.51-metre crossover with lithium iron phosphate batteries of 56.2 or 67.1 kWh, up to 168 kW of power and a WLTP range of up to 434 km. Prices depend on the market. Spanish outlet Híbridos y Eléctricos lists the B10 from EUR 28,175, while electrive gives a German starting price of EUR 32,900. Leapmotor has not announced price changes linked to local assembly.
Danilo Annese, CEO of Leapmotor International, told the ceremony that “the B10 is the first Chinese branded vehicle made in Europe.” That claim needs a footnote. Leapmotor’s T03 was assembled at Stellantis’ Tychy plant in Poland from semi-knocked-down kits between 2024 and 30 March 2025, as InsideEVs recalls. The fairer description is that Zaragoza is the brand’s first full series production in Europe, with a local battery-pack line attached.
Why Zaragoza, and why now?
Two forces meet here. Stellantis has spare capacity: CEO Antonio Filosa put utilisation of its European plants at about 60% for 2025, electrive reports. Chinese brands, for their part, are growing fast in Europe but face EU countervailing duties on Chinese-built EVs that have applied since autumn 2024.
Silvia Vernetti, Stellantis’ head of joint ventures and strategic planning, framed the project as industrial policy. “The electric transition must also be an industrial transition,” she said, according to electrive. Spain’s Secretary of State for Industry, Jordi García Brustenga, called the pairing “a highly viable, desirable and sustainable combination” of Chinese and European strengths.
Demand gives the plan some footing. Leapmotor says it exported more than 150,000 vehicles in January to September 2026 and logged over 8,000 European B10 orders in September alone. It sells through more than 1,020 outlets in 36 European countries.
How Chinese carmakers are building in Europe
Leapmotor is not alone. Global Times reported on 14 October that Chinese brand registrations in Europe reached 97,639 in August 2026, citing Dataforce, for a record 11.7% share. Jian Junbo of Fudan University’s Center for China-Europe Relations described the trend as “a shift from exporting vehicles to investing and producing locally.”
| Brand | Location | Status (October 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Leapmotor (with Stellantis) | Zaragoza, Spain | B10 series production from 16 Oct; B05 due Q1 2027 |
| BYD | Hungary | Mass production expected this quarter; France plant under consideration |
| Xpeng (with Magna) | Graz, Austria | G9L trial build completed 7 Oct, fourth Xpeng model built there |
| Chery (with Ebro) | Barcelona, Spain | Uses the former Nissan plant |
The trade backdrop is shifting too. On 9 October, China’s Ministry of Commerce published a joint statement after the second meeting of the China-EU trade and investment consultation mechanism in Beijing, where both sides agreed to keep exploring tariff reductions within WTO rules. Chinese makers have also built at home and abroad for years; BRICS24 covered Great Wall Motors’ factory plans in Brazil and Xiaomi Auto’s first 100,000 deliveries.
What to watch next
Local content is the open question. The EU is weighing local-content requirements, and a car whose cells still arrive from China may not satisfy a strict version. Mallén’s phase-two plan of up to 200,000 packs a year shows intent, but cell production in Europe would be the stronger signal. Electrive also reports that an Opel electric SUV using Leapmotor’s battery, powertrain and electronic architecture is planned for Zaragoza from 2028. That would make the plant a two-way bridge, with Chinese technology inside a European brand.
FAQ
When did Leapmotor B10 production start in Spain?
Series production was marked with a ceremony on 16 October 2026 at Stellantis’ Figueruelas plant in Zaragoza province. Customer deliveries of Spanish-built cars are planned for December 2026 to January 2027.
Is the B10 the first Chinese-brand car made in Europe?
Leapmotor says so. However, its smaller T03 was assembled from kits in Poland between 2024 and March 2025, so Zaragoza is better described as its first full series production in Europe.
Where do the B10’s batteries come from?
Packs are assembled at Leapmotor’s plant in Mallén, Spain. The battery cells are still imported from China.
Sources: ChinaEV Home; electrive; InsideEVs; Híbridos y Eléctricos; Global Times.
