Leapmotor and Stellantis Malaysia have announced plans for local assembly operations in Malaysia. The first model to be locally assembled (CKD) by the Chinese carmaker is the fully electric (EV) Leapmotor C10 with local production scheduled to begin by the end of 2025.
This initiative is supported by an initial investment of five million Euros (approx. RM24 million) into Stellantis’ production plant in Gurun, Kedah, to support EV assembly. The Leapmotor C10 will be the first EV to be locally assembled at this plant.
According to Leapmotor, this positions Malaysia at the forefront of EV industrialisation in the ASEAN region. The plant is also slated to assemble other models, potentially including the Leapmotor B10 and the range-extender (REEV) version of the Leapmotor C10, with export operations to start in 2027.
This initiative aligns with Stellantis’s “Dare Forward 2030” plan, which identifies the India & Asia Pacific (IAP) region as a key area for growth. To achieve this, Stellantis seeks to expand its electrification roadmap and offer innovative, accessible EVs from Leapmotor to the Southeast Asian market.
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Leapmotor Founder, Chairman, and CEO Zhu Jiangming, stressed that the start of the CKD Leapmotor cars in Malaysia will propel the company’s global expansion plans.
He said, “The localised assembly project in Malaysia will accelerate Leapmotor’s global strategic expansion. We look forward to working with Stellantis Group to bring new technology and vitality to the transformation of Malaysia’s automotive industry, and to set a benchmark and model for opening up the entire Southeast Asian market for Leapmotor.”
Stellantis India & Asia Pacific Chief Operating Officer, Ashwani Muppasani, explains that the start of Leapmotor CKD operations in Malaysia marks the beginning of Stellantis’s electrification journey within the ASEAN region.
He said “This milestone marks more than the start of local assembly—it marks the next chapter in Stellantis’ electrification journey across ASEAN.”
By combining Leapmotor’s EV innovation and success with Stellantis’ regional expertise and global scale, we are laying the foundation for an accessible, sustainable future of mobility right here in Malaysia and across Southeast Asia”, Muppasani added.
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