Stellantis Chooses Jeep Avenger Facility to Build Chinese EVs
Anonymous sources at Stellantis have shared that the automaker has picked its Tychy plant in Poland to assemble Leapmotor EVs. Its partnership with the China-based startup was formed in 2023.
Chinese EVs tout relatively low production costs and accessible retail prices. Western automakers are finding that partnering with outside OEMs might help bridge the market gap while they work to bring their own entry-level EVs into play.
The Tychy facility has built Fiats for years and now also assembles the Jeep Avenger. Fiat has gone through electrification and overall waning sales in the U.S. The Avenger is Jeep’s first fully electric SUV and debuted in 2022. Even tinier than the Renegade, it was (unfortunately) not released to the U.S. market to see how it would perform here.
The Avenger earned the 2023 European Car of the Year award and quickly garnered 40,000 orders. More than 40% of the orders were for the fully electric version, Stellantis said in a press release last September.
The Avenger has an estimated in-town range of 341 miles and starts at $29,727.
Despite beaming about the Avenger’s initial success, Stellantis and Leapmotor established a unique joint venture. Stellantis will be able to assemble, ship, and sell Leapmotor’s product offerings, including its T03 EV, outside of China.
The T03 is a subcompact crossover that has an approximate range of 174 miles and a retail price under $22,000.
Production of the T03 is expected to begin before the end of Q2 2024.
Stellantis will have a 51% stake in the joint venture and committed to buying a 21% stake in Leapmotor last year, Reuters reported.
