Gasgoo Munich- On July 6, Leapmotor formally entered the Mexican market, with its B10 model completing local certification and launching deliveries. This makes Leapmotor the first Chinese EV startup to crack open the North American market.Since declaring 2025 the "first year of globalization," Leapmotor has expanded to more than 40 countries and regions, establishing over 2,000 sales and service outlets. In under three years, it has traversed a globalization path that takes traditional automakers a decade.From 500,000 to 1.5 Million: A High-Speed Global ExpeditionLeapmotor’s global pace is vividly reflected in the data.By June 18, 2026, Leapmotor’s cumulative global deliveries had surpassed 1.5 million.More striking is the acceleration in deliveries: the first 500,000 units took 64 months, the second shrank to 12 months, and the third took just 8 months. From 64 months down to 8, that represents a sharply steepening growth curve.Image source: LeapmotorOverseas markets have become the core driver of this curve. In 2025, Leapmotor’s overseas sales reached 67,000 units, ranking first among Chinese EV startups for exports.That momentum accelerated further in 2026: overseas exports topped 20,000 in May alone, while cumulative exports from January to May exceeded 75,000—already surpassing the full-year total for 2025.In June, global deliveries hit 93,376—a 95% year-on-year surge and a new monthly high. The share of overseas sales climbed from roughly 15% in 2025 to nearly 25%.In Europe, a key market, Leapmotor’s performance has been particularly eye-catching.In the first quarter of 2026, registrations across 16 European countries reached 23,300, a 726.5% annual jump. Pure EV sales in 12 EU countries totaled around 17,000, placing Leapmotor first among Chinese electric brands.In Italy, Leapmotor has become the undisputed leader in the pure EV market. May registrations hit 4,765, pushing market share to 34.5% and a staggering 48% in private channels. "In Italy, one out of every three pure electric cars sold is a Leapmotor."The rapid rollout of sales channels has underpinned this sales growth.Leapmotor now covers more than 40 countries and regions, with global outlets exceeding 2,000—over 950 of them overseas. In Germany, it opened over 100 stores in just over a year, making it one of the fastest-growing auto brands in the market.On the product front, Leapmotor is rapidly rolling out its global strategic model lineup.On June 18, the right-hand-drive version of the Leapmotor Lafa5 launched in Hong Kong and globally, debuting in 26 European countries and regions, with Australia and New Zealand following in August. This is the fourth model Leapmotor has introduced overseas after the T03, C10, and B10.Leapmotor Senior Vice President Xu Jun stated clearly that models from all four platforms—A, B, C, and D—will be promoted globally. The A10 is slated to enter Europe in late 2026 or early 2027, completing a global matrix covering sedans, SUVs, and MPVs.From "Hitching a Ride" to "Building the Ship": Deep Localization Under a Light-Asset ModelLeapmotor’s global path differs from the traditional automaker model of independently exploring overseas markets.In 2023, Leapmotor partnered with Stellantis, the world’s fourth-largest automaker, to form a joint venture called "Leapmotor International." Stellantis holds 51% and Leapmotor 49%, with exclusive responsibility for sales and production outside the Greater China region.This "light-asset" model allows Leapmotor to leverage Stellantis’s mature global channels and commercial resources, achieving a rapid global layout with minimal capital investment.Image source: LeapmotorThe effectiveness of this model is already evident in operations—Leapmotor International achieved annual profitability in just its second year. Overseas gross margins are stable between 18% and 20%, significantly higher than domestic levels.In the first quarter of 2026, overseas exports reached 40,901 units, generating revenue of 10.82 billion yuan—a record high for the period.But Leapmotor’s ambitions go far beyond just "hitching a ride." Starting in 2026, the company is shifting from "exporting" to "local manufacturing," moving from "borrowing a boat" to "building one."In Europe, the partnership with Stellantis has entered deep waters.In May 2026, the two parties announced a deepened strategic partnership. The Leapmotor B10 is scheduled to start production in CKD mode at Stellantis’s Zaragoza plant in Spain in the fourth quarter of 2026. On June 23, a battery assembly workshop was established in Spain, with an annual planned capacity of about 65,000 sets—reservable space to expand to 100,000.More significantly, the two sides plan to transfer ownership of the Madrid Villaverde plant to Leapmotor International for the production of new models.Outside Europe, Leapmotor’s localization efforts are equally swift.The Kulim plant in Kedah, Malaysia, officially launched local assembly operations in June 2026, while the Yangon plant in Myanmar rolled out its first B10 in March 2026. Leapmotor plans to eventually achieve a capacity structure where 40% is domestic production and 60% is overseas.The latest entry into the Mexican market serves as a concentrated display of Leapmotor’s localization capabilities.Before entering Mexico, the Leapmotor B10 completed over a year of localization adaptation and verification at Stellantis’s Mexico Automotive Engineering R&D Test Center. It underwent exclusive tuning for complex terrains and climates like highlands, deserts, and rainforests.On the channel front, relying on Stellantis’s local network in Mexico, over 40 authorized outlets have been established in core cities. After-sales support is provided by Mopar, a service provider with over 85 years of industry experience. A parts distribution center in Toluca covers 45,000 square meters, stocks over 50,000 original parts, and can achieve delivery to stores nationwide within 24 to 48 hours.Leapmotor founder Zhu Jiangming defined the true meaning of going global this way: "Overseas business has become Leapmotor’s ‘second growth engine.’ We are no longer pursuing simple vehicle exports, but the global landing of a full lifecycle covering ‘brand + manufacturing + service.’"From the 1.5 million delivery milestone to the global rollout of the full A-B-C-D product matrix; from the light-asset start of "hitching a ride" to local manufacturing in Spain, Malaysia, and Mexico—Leapmotor is completing a metamorphosis from a Chinese startup to a world-class smart EV enterprise in under three years.
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