Stellantis mulls building Chinese EVs in Europe for joint venture partner Leapmotor
Four months after announcing a joint venture with Chinese EV automaker Leapmotor, Stellantis is reportedly mulling taking the strategic cooperation further by building hundreds of thousands of BEVs for its new partner in Italy to serve the European market.
Stellantis once operated a Jeep joint venture in China with GAC Group that it inherited from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) before its merger with Peugeot S.A. in early 2021. However, by October 2022, Stellantis announced it was terminating the JV with GAC, citing dwindling sales and, according to CEO Carlos Tavares, a “broken trust” with one of the top five automakers in China.
GAC clapped back, citing a “lack of respect” from the Stellantis chief, setting the stage for a bankruptcy filing, thus solidifying its expiry. This left Stellantis with a minor foothold in China but the freedom to court new partners in the Chinese EV market. Enter Leapmotor.
The two OEMs signed a joint venture in October 2023 in which Stellantis took a $1.6 billion stake (21%) in the Leapmotor, securing exclusive rights to the manufacturing, sale, and export of Leapmotor EVs everywhere outside of the Chinese market.
Additionally, Stellantis gained access to its foreign partner’s existing EV ecosystem to support its own global electrification goals – part of its Dare Forward 2030 strategy. Most recently, Stellantis looks to capitalize on the growing popularity of affordable Chinese EVs coming to Europe and may help Leapmotor build the cars locally.
Stellantis could build up to 150k Chinese EVs per year
Late last week, Italian media quoted Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares divulging that the company may build Chinese EVs in Europe for Leapmotor as long as there is a good business case to support the strategy.
Tavares specifically mentioned Stellantis’ Mirafiori plant in Turin, Italy, as the potential home to Chinese EV builds for Leapmotor. Stellantis’ local dealers in the European market would then sell those BEVs.
A spokesperson for Stellantis confirmed Tavares’ comments but declined to speak further. However, a source with direct knowledge of the situation told Automotive News Europe that Stellantis is mulling an annual output of 150,000 BEVs in Italy for Leapmotor. Other sources shared that Stellantis’ production of Chinese EVs in Turin could begin as early as 2026 or 2027.
The Mirafiori plant is currently home to Fiat 500e production and Maserati vehicles. Stellantis has recently traded blows with the Italian Government for its lack of financial support to bolster EV production in the country. This led to the government considering buying a stake in Stellantis to show its support.
Last week, the Stellantis announced it had turned a profit on building EVs and, with its joint venture with its Chinese counterpart, could lean further into that segment to capitalize on additional sales.
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Tesla’s retro-futuristic diner with Superchargers and giant movie screens is ready to open, and I have to admit, it looks pretty sick.
This project has been in the works for a long time.
In 2018, Elon Musk said that Tesla planned to open an “old school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in Los Angeles.” It was yet another “Is he joking?” kind of Elon Musk idea, but he wasn’t kidding.
A few months later, Tesla applied for building permits for “a restaurant and Supercharger station” at a location in Santa Monica. However, the project stalled for a long time, apparently due to local regulations.
Nevertheless, Tesla still moved forward with a Supercharger at the location, but it had to move the diner project to Hollywood. In 2022, Tesla filed the construction plans with the city, giving us the first look at what the automaker intends to build.
In 2023, the automaker broke ground on the site of the diner.
7 years after being originally announced, the project appears now ready to open:
Musk said that he ate at the diner last night and claimed that it is “one of the coolest spots in LA.” He didn’t say when it will open, but Tesla vehicles have been spotted at Supercharger and people appear to be testing the dinning experience inside.
A Tesla Optimus Robot can be seen inside the diner on a test rack. It looks like Tesla might use one for some tasks inside the diner.
Earlier this year, Tesla integrated the diner into its mobile app – hinting at some interaction through the app – possibly ordering from it.
Electrek’s Take
I think it looks pretty cool. I am a fan of the design and concept.
However, considering the state of the Tesla community, I don’t think I’d like the vibes. That said, it looks like Tesla isn’t prominently pushing its branding on the diner.
You can come and charge there, but it looks like Tesla is also aiming to get a wider clientele just for dining.
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Hyundai’s electric minivan is finally out in the open. The Staria EV was caught without camo near Hyundai’s R&D center in Korea, giving us a closer look at the electric minivan undisguised.
Hyundai’s electric minivan drops camo ahead of debut
The Staria arrived in 2021 as the successor to the Starex, Hyundai’s multi-purpose vehicle (MPV). Although the Staria has received several updates throughout the years, 2026 will be its biggest by far.
Hyundai will launch the Staria EV, its first electric minivan. Like the current model, the 2026 Staria will be available in several different configurations, including cargo, passenger, and even a camper version.
We’ve seen the Staria EV out in public a few times already. Last month, we got a glimpse of it while driving on public roads in Korea.
Despite the camouflage, new EV-like design elements were visible, including updated LED headlights and a full-length light bar. Although it’s still unclear, the electric version appears to be roughly the same size as the current Staria from the side, but slightly wider from the front.
New images posted on the South Korean forum Clien reveal a test car, expected to be Hyundai’s Staria electric minivan, without camo.
Like most Hyundai test cars, the prototype has a black front and a grey body. It still features a similar look to other prototypes we’ve seen, but you can clearly see the new facelift.
Earlier this year, a Staria EV was spotted in a parking lot in Korea, featuring a similar look. The electric version is nearly identical to the Staria Lounge, but with an added charge port and closed-off grille.
The Hyundai Staria EV is expected to make its global debut later this year. Technical details have yet to be revealed, but it’s expected to feature either a 76 kWh or 84 kWh battery, providing a range of around 350 km (217 miles) to 400 km (249 miles).
Hyundai’s electric SUV arrives after Kia introduced its first electric van, the PV5, which launched in Europe and Korea earlier this year.
In Europe, the Kia Passenger PV5 model is available with two battery pack options: 51.5 kWh and 71.2 kWh, providing WLTP ranges of 179 miles and 249 miles, respectively. The Cargo version has a WLTP range of 181 miles or 247 miles.
Source: TheKoreanCarBlog, Clien
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