The first shipment of Leapmotor-branded electric vehicles are en route to Europe, scheduled to start sales in nine European countries from September.

Models aboard are the C10 and the T03, said Leapmotor International, a joint venture between Stellantis and Chinese startup Leapmotor.

Leapmotor Chairman and CEO Zhu Jiangming said the models are designed to meet the high standards of global customers.

The C10 is the startup's first global product, built based on global design and safety standards. Among other things, it features a 420 km WLTP range, and is able to win the 5-star E-NCAP ratings.

Leapmotor T03 is a small five-door urban boutique car, with a 265 km WLTP range. It ranked No 1 in the JD Power Initial Quality Study in the small EV segment.

Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said the shipment of Leapmotor's vehicles to Europe this month is a landmark moment in the two companies' partnership.

"Relying on Stellantis' strong business assets in Europe and the hard work of our companies' teams on guaranteeing product innovation and quality, I strongly believe that Leapmotor's electric vehicles will be widely accepted by European customers," he said.

Leveraging the Stellantis distribution channels, Leapmotor International plans to increase sales points for Leapmotor vehicles in Europe to 500 by 2026, from 200 at the end of 2024, to ensure a high level of service for customers.

The joint venture said the shipment this month is just the beginning of a long-term collaboration aimed at transforming the landscape of electric mobility in Europe and beyond. There is at least one model planned to go on sale every year in the next three years.

Leapmotor's Zhu said he is confident that the collaboration between Stellantis and Leapmotor will drive significant growth for both companies.

"As of the first half of July, Leapmotor has sold over 400,000 EVs in China since the company's first sale," said Zhu. "China is the biggest and most competitive EV market in the world and our products have proved their value by being acclaimed by the local customers."