Chinese electric vehicle maker Leapmotor will collaborate with state-owned FAW Group to co-develop new EV models based on Leapmotor’s B platform, with a focus on overseas markets, local media outlet Jiemian reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
The cooperation, the first publicly detailed report since the companies signed a strategic memorandum in March, resembles the structure of Leapmotor’s existing partnership with Stellantis, according to the report.
Leapmotor and FAW signed the agreement on March 3 in Changchun, Jilin province, aiming to jointly develop new energy passenger vehicles and collaborate on key components. FAW had previously considered acquiring a stake in a Chinese EV startup but the plan did not materialize, the report added.
Leapmotor introduced its first B-series model, the B10 compact SUV, in April with a starting price of RMB 99,800 ($13,940). The startup is expected to launch the B01 electric sedan, the second model in the B-series, in the near future.
Stellantis became Leapmotor’s largest external shareholder in 2023 following a €1.5 billion investment for a 20 percent stake. Through Stellantis’ global distribution channels, Leapmotor has expanded into 30 international markets and exported more than 20,000 vehicles in the first half of 2025.
Beyond the new collaboration with FAW, Leapmotor is also set to partner with FAW-Volkswagen, the joint venture between FAW and Germany’s Volkswagen Group, the report said. The arrangement may be similar to the cooperation between Xpeng and Volkswagen, with FAW-Volkswagen expected to develop and sell new EV models in China using Leapmotor’s technical platform.