Stellantis is in talks to build Chinese electric cars at its idled production facility in Brampton, Ontario, according to a report by Automotive News. Stellantis owns a 20 percent stake in Leapmotor as well as a 51 percent stake in a joint venture formed with the automaker called Leapmotor International. In a statement to Car and Driver, a Stellantis spokesperson left the door open to Leapmotor starting production in Canada.
Leapmotor could become the first Chinese automaker to build vehicles in Canada, according to a new report by Automotive News. The Chinese automaker is reportedly in talks with Stellantis to build electric cars at the latter’s idled production facility in Brampton, Ontario.
VCG|Getty Images
Leapmotor C16 production in China.
According to the AN report, the talks are in the early stages, meaning that nothing is set in stone yet. In a statement to Car and Driver, a spokesperson for Stellantis declined to confirm the report but didn’t go so far as to deny it either:
“Stellantis remains focused on a strong Canadian footprint and is actively evaluating future programs for Brampton, with the objective to ensure that any investment decision is sustainable and a long-term commitment that supports workers and suppliers,” the spokesperson said. “We are in active discussions with government officials and key stakeholders to ensure that the conditions for success are in place to support continued investment in Canada. We have nothing to announce.”
The Stellantis facility in Brampton has been idle since 2023, but it was supposed to reopen with a new model this year. Following the Trump administration’s announcement of sweeping tariffs on the automotive sector, Stellantis canceled plans to build the new Jeep Compass in Brampton and moved the SUV’s production to the United States.
Stellantis purchased a 20 percent stake in Leapmotor in 2023. The automaker followed up its investment the following year by forming a joint venture called Leapmotor International, which is focused on electric cars. Unlike several other prominent Chinese automakers, Leapmotor is not a state-owned enterprise, though it does receive investment from several state-owned groups.
Leapmotor currently builds a number of electric and plug-in-hybrid vehicles in its home market. It’s not clear exactly which models would be built in Ontario, or how long it could take to move forward, but we don’t expect to see any Leapmotor cars on Canadian roads this year.
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