On Wednesday, October 16, Stellatnis launched an electric Leapmotor SUV in Malaysia, expanding its reach into the Southeast Asian car market.
The arrival of Stellantis and Leapmotor’s C10 SUV will help the Malaysian government with its EV goals. The SE Asian nation aims to be a regional hub for EV production and offer automakers a well-equipped EV supply chain. Malaysia also seeks to have EVs and hybrids account for 20% of new car sales by 2030.
According to Malaysia’s Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister, Tengku Zafrul Aziz, Stellantis will start sales with the Leapmotor C10 medium-sized SUV. The all-electric SUV has a 69.9 kWh battery with an estimated range of 262 miles based on Europe’s WLTP standard. It has 218 hp and delivers 320 Nm of torque.
Stellantis holds a 51% stake in the Leapmotor International joint venture. It has exclusive rights to build, export, and sell Leapmotor products outside China. Besides Southeast Asia, Stellantis and Leapmotor are reportedly interested in selling EVs to India.
However, India is cautious about importing EVs made in China. Stellantis and Leapmotor’s joint venture has reportedly started EV production at a plant in Poland owned by the European car maker. Producing EVs in Europe might be the best move for the Stellantis-Leapmotor JV as more countries impose heavy tariffs on China-made EV imports, including those in the EU, Canada, and the United States.
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