Opel Leapmotor electric SUV to be developed in Rüsselsheim and built in Zaragoza from summer 2028
Opel and Zhejiang Leapmotor will jointly develop a new C‑segment electric SUV designed in Rüsselsheim, with production scheduled to start in Zaragoza in summer 2028. The Opel Leapmotor electric SUV will draw on Leapmotor’s electrical architecture and battery technology while Opel contributes brand design, chassis and interior engineering. Stellantis said the project is intended as a blueprint for deeper cooperation between the groups and to accelerate affordable BEV models for European customers. (media.stellantis.com)
Project announcement and timeline
Opel announced the C‑segment electric SUV as part of an expanded partnership with Leapmotor ahead of Stellantis’ 2026 investor events, setting an aggressive development timetable. Company statements say design work will remain in Rüsselsheim and that international teams in Germany and China will co‑develop the vehicle, with a target to complete development in under two years. Stellantis confirmed an intention to add a new production line at its Zaragoza (Figueruelas) plant and to start production for Opel in the summer of 2028. (media.stellantis.com)
Design and technology split between Rüsselsheim and China
Opel will be responsible for the exterior and interior design, lighting, seats and chassis engineering at its Rüsselsheim design centre, while key elements of the electric architecture and battery systems are slated to come from Leapmotor. The collaboration is presented as an engineering split that pairs Opel’s European market expertise with Leapmotor’s recent advances in cost‑effective EV platforms. Executives framed the arrangement as a way to cut time‑to‑market and preserve Opel’s styling and customer features. (media.stellantis.com)
Zaragoza factory to host production; Villaverde flagged for more models
Stellantis said the new Opel C‑SUV will be assembled in its Zaragoza plant alongside Leapmotor’s own C‑SUV model on a new production line, reinforcing the plant’s role in Opel volume models. The companies also signalled plans to reinforce the future of the Villaverde (Madrid) plant by allocating additional Leapmotor nameplates there from 2028 onward, subject to final approvals. European manufacturing of Leapmotor products and shared procurement through the joint distribution unit are central to the plan to lower unit costs for both partners. (media.stellantis.com)
Stellantis stake and joint international unit drive expansion
Stellantis acquired roughly a 21 percent stake in Leapmotor in 2023 and has since established Leapmotor International (LPMI) as a channel for overseas sales and procurement cooperation. The expanded strategic partnership aims to scale joint purchasing, broaden LPMI’s footprint in Europe and use Stellantis’ distribution network to accelerate Leapmotor models abroad. Executives described the arrangement as mutually reinforcing: Leapmotor supplies affordable EV systems and Stellantis brings European industrial and retail capacity. (media.stellantis.com)
Opel engineering cuts and battery plant cancellations provide context
The announcement comes against a backdrop of recent restructuring at Opel’s Rüsselsheim technical centre, where Stellantis said it would reduce the local development headcount from about 1,650 to roughly 1,000 engineers as part of a wider global reorganisation. The move has narrowed the scope of in‑house vehicle development at Opel even as the brand pursues partnerships to retain product cadence. (electrive.com)
Separately, plans by the Automotive Cells Company (ACC) to develop a large battery cell factory in Kaiserslautern were effectively shelved earlier this year, removing an anticipated source of domestic cell production for German Stellantis operations. That withdrawal has reinforced the logic of sourcing battery systems through established external suppliers and partners such as Leapmotor. (zeit.de)
Leapmotor’s rapid sales growth underpins the partnership
Leapmotor has reported a sharp sales increase in recent months, with full‑year deliveries in 2025 approaching or exceeding the company’s raised guidance of roughly 580,000–650,000 units, a rate that executives say supports rapid international expansion. The Chinese manufacturer returned to profitability in 2025 on the back of surging volumes, a fact Stellantis highlighted when describing the strategic rationale for closer ties. That commercial momentum is a key factor for Stellantis in betting on Leapmotor as a supplier and partner for affordable BEVs in Europe. (bloomberg.com)
Opel’s announcement frames the new C‑segment electric SUV as both a product and a process test: bring together Opel design and customer knowledge with Leapmotor scale and battery expertise, build in Europe, and use Stellantis’ industrial footprint to reach buyers quickly. The partnership reduces development lead time and aims to deliver a competitively priced, fully electric Opel for European consumers while reshaping how Stellantis sources electrification components across its brands. (media.stellantis.com)
