No, the Leapmotor T03 will not cost €14,900 in the coming months, thanks to its assembly in Poland. The Chinese brand, which distributes its cars in France through a joint venture with Stellantis, is reviewing its strategy after its request for eligibility for the ecological bonus was rejected.
The electric city car, available at €18,900 (and queen of the category of electric cars under €25,000), was supposed to obtain this government aid thanks to assembly in Europe, using parts imported from China. The idea did not please the government, which modified the rules of the game for the sake of clarity.
From assembly site to production site
Until now, an electric car was eligible for the ecological bonus as long as its assembly site was located in Europe. This was how the ecoscore was determined, an important criterion for accessing the bonus. From now on, we can no longer rely on the assembly site, but on the production site for the car's parts.
Sold as a kit and assembled in Poland for final assembly, the Leapmotor T03 still had a heavy carbon footprint due to the fact that all its parts still come from China, like the Dacia Spring. With this turnaround, the Chinese brand has decided to revise its plans and abandon the Polish site, located in Tychy, which it had been using since June 2024.
Leapmotor's European plan with the B10
Stellantis' Polish factory also produced the Fiat 500 Hybrid locally, a model that has since been discontinued, and has since renewed itself by welcoming the Jeep Avenger, the Alfa Romeo Junior and the Fiat 600. Its plans with Leapmotor are no longer very clear, since the Chinese brand is still counting on European production for its future B10, but the latter could head for Spain.
Former Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares had appointed the country as an entry point for the young brand, before establishing it more widely in Europe (including France). Since the end of March, Reuters has been suggesting that the next SUV could be produced in Madrid (alongside the Citroën C4 and C4 X), Vigo (Citroën Berlingo, Peugeot Rifter, Opel Combo, Fiat Doblo) or even Zaragoza (Opel Corsa and Lancia Ypsilon).
Recently launched in France, the C10 REEV, with a range extender, has joined the small Leapmotor range in France (alongside the 100% electric C10). The Chinese brand imports its cars to France by cargo ship from China, which it will now also do with the T03. In view of the situation with the implementation of American and Chinese customs duties, it is possible that Stellantis plans to redirect its investments towards this young brand to compensate for its losses in North America.
Source: Les Echos
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