Stellantis has confirmed that a new electric Opel model will come out of the Figueruelas plant in Zaragoza. The novelty lies not only in local production, but in the fact that this car will use a platform developed by the Chinese company Leapmotor. This is the first time the German brand has resorted to technology from an Asian manufacturer for one of its own models.
Leapmotor Platform: Chinese technology for a German Opel 🚗
The agreement between Stellantis and Leapmotor implies that the new Opel's platform will be the LEAP 3.0 base, designed by the Chinese firm. This architecture allows for CTB (cell-to-body) type batteries and superior energy efficiency. Production in Figueruelas aims to leverage the plant's capacity and reduce costs. The model will share components with other group vehicles, but its electric DNA comes directly from Shanghai.
Manufactured in Zaragoza, but with a Mandarin accent 🇨🇳
That Opel uses a Chinese platform is not a surrender, it's a masterstroke: if the car fails, the blame will fall on Leapmotor. And if it works, Stellantis will say it was their idea. Meanwhile, the workers at Figueruelas will learn to pronounce solid-state battery correctly in Mandarin. The important thing is that the car arrives on time, even if the instruction manual includes Chinese characters.