Leapmotor, a Chinese electric vehicle brand, has entered the European market through a partnership with Stellantis, the French-American automaker that owns brands like Peugeot, Citroën, and Opel. Leapmotor's vehicles are now sold in the same dealerships as these established European brands, raising questions about whether Stellantis would have retained those customers without Leapmotor's presence. During a press test of the B03X, a small electric SUV, in Marbella, Spain, Leapmotor’s head of strategy, products, and marketing, Francesco Giacalone, claimed the company had achieved 150,000 global sales. He also stated that 90% of Leapmotor buyers outside China would not have chosen a Stellantis brand if Leapmotor did not exist. However, the company did not provide detailed methodology for this claim, such as the sample size, countries involved, or data collection methods. The figure was released by the commercial arm of the joint venture, not an independent research institution, and Stellantis has a financial stake in Leapmotor, which may influence the claim's interpretation. Leapmotor’s customer base appears to be younger, on average eight to nine years younger than buyers of established European brands. This suggests a growing segment of consumers who are less brand-loyal but are open to Chinese-made vehicles that offer comparable safety and features to European cars. Leapmotor has positioned itself in the entry-level electric vehicle market, a segment where Peugeot and Citroën have reduced their presence. The B03X, priced starting at 23,400 euros in France, directly competes with models like the Renault 4 E-Tech and the Citroën ë-C3 Aircross. Orders for the B03X have been open since July 2026, indicating a strategic push into the European market. Leapmotor claims to have sold about 150,000 units internationally, with 105,000 sold in the first eight months of 2026 alone—compared to 47,500 units sold in 2025. This growth appears to have had a positive impact on Stellantis, which reported a 3.8% sales increase in its expanded European market during the first half of 2026. That figure rose to 7.3% when including sales from Leapmotor International. However, some analysts suggest that the growth could be partly due to overlapping sales data, as Leapmotor itself added about 25,000 units in Europe during the second quarter of 2026, while Stellantis’s own models only gained about 21,000 net units. The breakdown of the 90% figure by country has not been disclosed, particularly in France, where Peugeot and Citroën have strong dealer networks and a historically loyal customer base.