Leapmotor advances into the heart of europe, driving globalization strategy with a long-term vision | iaa 2025

Under the spotlight of the Munich Auto Show, Leapmotor not only showcased new products but also announced to the world a new model for Chinese new energy vehicles going global — not engaging in short-term trade, but focusing on long-term commitment to local markets.

On September 8, 2025, at the International Motor Show in Munich, Germany, Zhu Jiangming, founder, chairman, and CEO of Leap Motor, stood at the center of the exhibition and announced a milestone achievement to the global media: Leap Motor's global sales and service outlets have exceeded 1,700, with the number of overseas outlets nearly equal to that of domestic ones.

"Automakers must achieve globalization. The threshold of 4 million units was originally for fuel vehicles, but I believe it may be even higher for electric vehicles in the future," Zhu Jiangming's voice was calm yet firm. "We are not engaging in trade, but truly establishing ourselves, building our brand, promoting, and developing the market ourselves, rather than using a general agency model. We are committed to long-termism."

Strategic Layout: The Transformation from a New Force in China to a Global Player

The globalization story of Leapmotor did not happen overnight. Looking back at Leapmotor's development history, one can see a clear path of strategic evolution.

In 2023, the global automotive giant Stellantis Group acquired a stake in Leapmotor, and this collaboration is seen as a turning point in China's new energy vehicle industry. In May 2024, the two parties formally established the Leapmotor International Joint Venture, injecting strong momentum into Leapmotor's globalization process.

Zhu Jiangming revealed in an interview: "With the help of Stellantis Group's mature resource system, Leapmotor has quickly completed business layouts in over 30 countries and regions worldwide." This collaboration model allows Leapmotor to leverage Stellantis's existing global network to rapidly achieve expansion in overseas markets.

Data shows that from January to August 2025, Leap Motor's cumulative global delivery volume exceeded 320,000 units, with over 30,000 units delivered in overseas markets, ranking first among Chinese new power brands. Even more impressively, Leap Motor has entered the forefront of core markets such as Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.

Leapmotor International CEO Xin Tianshu said, "We have a monthly sales volume of about 4,000 units overseas. Just yesterday, we announced that our single-day sales volume in the Chinese market has exceeded 5,000 units, so there is also a huge potential for growth in our overseas markets."

This impressive performance is backed by Leapmotor’s deep commitment to global market expansion. As of now, Leapmotor has over 1,700 sales and service outlets worldwide and has delivered more than 900,000 vehicles in total, ranking among the top tier of new energy vehicle startups.

Product matrix, leveraging fully self-developed technology to penetrate global markets.

At this year’s Munich Auto Show, Leapmotor unveiled its new strategic product, the Lafa5, which is built on the advanced LEAP 3.5 architecture and positioned as a high-value, sporty coupe.

Li Auto's Vice President Cao Li stated while introducing the Lafa5: "The car is centered around four core values: 'Lifestyle, Attitude, Freedom, and Art,' precisely targeting the urban youth demographic."

The Lafa 5 combines ultra-high aesthetics, European driving dynamics, flagship intelligence, and superior quality. It is now open for blind reservations and is planned to be launched in China in the fourth quarter of 2025, followed by a global rollout in 2026.

It is worth noting that Lafa5 is not the only card Leapmotor holds in the global market.

The Leapmotor B-series' first global model, the B10, has officially launched in overseas markets and has commenced deliveries in Europe. Since its launch in the Chinese market in April this year, the B10 has accumulated over 50,000 deliveries, demonstrating strong market appeal and user recognition.

In the interview, Cao Li revealed Leapmotor's product strategy: "Our product focus in the European market is more on the ABC series." This indicates that Leapmotor is building a global product matrix covering different market segments.

Leapmotor's product advantages stem from its comprehensive self-developed technological capabilities. As a technology-driven intelligent electric vehicle company, Leapmotor consistently insists on full in-house development of core technologies, independently developing and manufacturing high value-added core components that account for 65% of the vehicle's total cost.

Zhu Jiangming emphasized, "The continued strong sales of our products are backed by the strong product capabilities and positive user reputation built through comprehensive in-house research and development."

This technical confidence allows Leapmotor to be more precise in product positioning. In an interview, Cao Li stated, "Although we cannot elaborate on the interior details, there are significant differences compared to the existing B series. Whether in color or material, Europe has exclusive colors. Additionally, we will have distinctions in appearance, power, and operation."

Localization strategy: Key initiatives for deeply integrating into the European market

Leapmotor's globalization is not merely about exporting products, but rather involves deep localization operations. This localization is reflected on multiple levels.

First is the localization adaptation of the product. Cao Li revealed in an interview: "Our models were initially developed with a global approach, so in terms of mechanical quality and handling sports chassis tuning, we have carried out local adaptive optimizations based on the European version."

This adaptation is not limited to the hardware level but also includes software and service localization. Zhu Jiangming admitted in an interview: "For a car to be sold in Europe, EU certification takes a long time. Therefore, during this period, we continuously prepare the product. On one hand, we need to do more certifications, and on the other hand, we need to carry out localization adaptation development and collect local user requirements."

Secondly, there is the localization of channels and services. Leveraging the mature resource system of the Stellantis Group, Leapmotor has quickly established a global sales and service network. Currently, Leapmotor has 1,700 sales and service outlets worldwide, a number that even exceeds its outlets in China.

Zhu Jiangming shared Leapmotor's approach to channel development: "We adhere to long-termism. The Leapmotor S01 was not very successful. Starting with the T03, we sold 10,000 units in the first year, 43,000 units in the second year, and finally 117,000 units. A product needs to gradually spread in a region; forcing growth is definitely not the way."

The third aspect is the localization of manufacturing. In an interview, Cao Li revealed, "We will choose a factory in Spain, and we are currently adapting the production line." This indicates that Leapmotor is advancing its overseas localization production, which will further enhance its competitiveness in the global market.

Behind this deeply localized strategy is Leapmotor's profound understanding of the global market. In an interview, Cao Li shared insights about the target users of the Lafa5: “In Europe, the main users are not primarily young people; this model is quite mainstream there. Based on the average age, we estimate the age group to be in their forties to fifties. In China, it might be in the 25 to 30 age range.”

China's New Paradigm for Automotive Globalization

Leapmotor's globalization process has provided a new model for Chinese new energy vehicle enterprises. This new approach differs from traditional trade exports, adopting a long-term strategy of deeply localized operations.

In the interview, Zhu Jiangming outlined Leapmotor's globalization vision: "If Leapmotor is to truly become a leading car company, the previously mentioned 4 million vehicles is the threshold. I believe that to reach such a total, the volume should be evenly split between domestic and overseas markets. Looking further ahead, the overseas volume should exceed the domestic one."

This vision is gradually becoming a reality. Zhu Jiangming revealed, "We are striving to double our sales domestically and overseas next year, with even more ambitious targets for overseas markets. As we are accelerating the launch of new models, I believe our future prospects in the overseas market are very promising."

Leapmotor's success also stems from its rational understanding of market competition. Zhu Jiangming stated in an interview, "Competition always exists; only by continuously improving our products to be more advantageous than the competitors can we survive." This rational attitude allows Leapmotor to maintain strategic composure in the fierce market competition.

It is worth noting that Leapmotor's strategy in terms of intelligence also reflects its global thinking. In an interview, Cao Li stated, "The demand for assisted driving overseas may not be as strong as in China, but there is a strong demand for intelligent cabin features." This insight allows Leapmotor to offer differentiated products tailored to the needs of different markets.

In terms of the supply chain, Leapmotor is also prepared for global expansion. Cao Li stated in an interview: "Stellantis Group's logistics supply chain is very strong. Therefore, whether it is transporting parts or whole vehicles, the logistics network resources are very abundant." This provides a solid guarantee for Leapmotor's globalization.

Leapmotor's globalization story is far from over. Zhu Jiangming revealed future product plans in an interview: "We plan to launch the A series and D series next year to broaden our product lines and ensure more growth next year." This means that Leapmotor is building a more complete product matrix to meet the diverse needs of the global market.

At the Munich Motor Show, a Xinhua News Agency reporter asked the Leapmotor team a question: "I don't know why Leapmotor is selling so well?"

The answer may lie in Leapmotor's long-term strategy. While other automakers are still pursuing short-term sales, Leapmotor has already begun deep deployment in the global market; while other automakers are still relying on trade exports, Leapmotor has started localized production; while other automakers are still imitating foreign products, Leapmotor has initiated comprehensive self-developed technological innovation.

"Living long is more important than living flashy" – this is not only Leapmotor's philosophy for survival but also the wisdom crystallized in China's automotive industry as it goes global. On the path of globalization, Leapmotor does not pursue momentary brilliance but aims to be the player that remains on the field in the end.