Leapmotor has broken into North America for the first time with the launch of the B10 compact SUV in Mexico. The launch, timed to coincide with Mexico’s partial hosting of the FIFA World Cup, gives Leapmotor a foothold in a region where its Stellantis-backed expansion has otherwise struggled to garner a foothold.

Entering the Mexican market has been in the works for quite some time: the B10 spent more than a year undergoing localisation testing at Stellantis’s automotive engineering and testing centre in the country. It was tuned specifically for high-altitude terrain, desert conditions, and rainforest climates before clearing local regulatory certification. Leapmotor’s C10 and C16 SUVs are set to follow in due course, targeting family and multi-passenger buyers.

The Mexican-spec B10 arrives as a range-extended electric vehicle, with a 1.5-litre engine acting solely as a generator for an 18.8 kWh battery and 160kW electric motor, giving it a combined range of up to 990 km. Notably, the model’s sticker price starts at MXN 575,000 (US$32,895), somewhat cheaper than the roughly US$37,045 equivalent price in Germany.

Leapmotor is leaning entirely on Stellantis’ existing infrastructure rather than building a network from scratch, launching through more than 40 authorised outlets with plans to expand into smaller cities over time. After-sales support runs through Stellantis’ Mopar division, whose 45,000-square-metre parts centre in Toluca stocks more than 50,000 components and can supply dealerships nationwide within 24 to 48 hours.

The launch comes as Leapmotor’s global momentum accelerates: cumulative deliveries surpassed 1.5 million units in June, having taken just eight months to climb from one million. More reliant on global sales than most of its Chinese counterparts—save perhaps BYD and Chery—the automaker is now targeting one million total deliveries for 2026 alone.  

Mexico is only the first piece of a wider North American plan being shaped by the Stellantis, which holds roughly a 20% stake in Leapmotor. Through the Leapmotor International joint venture in which it owns a controlling 51% stake, it has exclusive rights to sell, distribute and manufacture the brand’s models outside China. In May, Chief Executive Antonio Filosa said the group sees “space” for Leapmotor in Mexico and possible room in Canada, but “no space” in the US “for the moment”.

Canada, which now allows 49,000 Chinese-built electric vehicles (EVs) a year at a reduced 6.1% tariff, has emerged as a potential avenue for Chinese-origin Leapmotor exports. Canada is also a candidate for local assembly at Stellantis’ idle Brampton plant, although reported plans to use semi- or completely-knocked-down kits rather than full-scale manufacturing have already drawn criticism from federal and provincial officials over low local value added. 

Meanwhile, the US remains closed altogether, with tariffs of up to 100% on Chinese-made EVs and separate restrictions on Chinese connected car technology forcing Stellantis to pursue Leapmotor’s growth elsewhere.