Stellantis Malaysia has started local assembly of Leapmotor electric vehicles at its Gurun manufacturing facility in Kedah, with the C10 SUV as the first model off the line.

The Gurun plant will initially focus on the C10, with the B10 model slated to join the production programme before the end of 2026.

The move marks the formal start of Stellantis Malaysia's Leapmotor manufacturing operations in the country, which the company says is part of a broader push to position Malaysia as a regional EV manufacturing hub.

Stellantis has committed €2.23m ($2.59m) to local assembly development for Leapmotor vehicle production, alongside €3.1m in capital expenditure directed at production line and infrastructure upgrades at the Gurun site.

Current output is intended for the Malaysian domestic market, though the company said it is weighing the possibility of exports to other ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) markets.

Ahead of production, technical staff and assembly operators at Gurun completed specialist training in Leapmotor's software and vehicle architectures.

According to the press statement, the workforce has been certified to work with high-voltage EV systems rated up to 800V.

Following validation processes, local assembly operations received sign-off from Stellantis supervisory teams as well as Malaysian and international regulatory bodies.

The approvals were secured under a global framework that Leapmotor and Stellantis have established to govern assembly and quality compliance standards.

Stellantis ASEAN managing director Isaac Yeo said: “The start of Leapmotor’s local assembly operations at our Gurun plant is a landmark achievement that places Malaysia at the forefront of EV industrialisation in the ASEAN region. As a crucial pillar within Stellantis APAC region for global growth, Malaysia is uniquely positioned to drive our regional expansion and lead by example.”

Separately, Stellantis this week announced investments of more than €1bn in France to support production of three upcoming Peugeot electric and hybrid models in the C-segment, built on the new STLA One platform.

The three vehicles are set to be assembled at the Mulhouse industrial site in Alsace from 2029, with the investment also contributing to the development of the STLA One modular platform in France.