Leapmotor International, a joint venture between the Dutch company Stellantis and the Chinese company Leapmotor, has opened a battery production unit in Mallén (Zaragoza). Recruitment and training activities for the project are already under way. The facility will carry out the assembly of battery modules and other key processes for electric vehicle production.

Initially, the factory will focus on supplying Leapmotor’s B platform, recently set up at the Zaragoza plant and featuring two battery versions, Pro and ProMax, both based on LFP technology.

Constantly evolving technology
The plant occupies a 19,000 square-metre building, on a plot of approximately 34,000 square metres. The production area has been designed to work with different battery chemistries, enabling it to adapt to the constantly evolving technology of electric vehicle batteries. It was built in short order thanks to the incorporation of modern production processes designed to ensure efficiency, quality and scalability in battery module assembly and related operations.

The launch of this centre marks another step forward in the company’s European expansion strategy, adding to recent announcements on the production of the B10 model in Figueruelas (Zaragoza) and the collaboration to develop a Vauxhall C-SUV.

Strategic presence in Europe
The battery plant project is a clear example of collaboration between its partners to combine cutting-edge Chinese technology with European industrial experience and expertise. Spanish teams and Chinese experts will work together to share knowledge. As project leader Yann Martin noted, the Mallén plant “represents an important milestone in the cooperation between Stellantis and Leapmotor, as well as in their strategic presence in Europe.”

In the initial phase of the project, the local management team, having received intensive training at a Leapmotor battery plant in China, is working alongside expatriates from the Asian company and several experienced Spanish team leaders to support the technical development of the plant's operations. The rest of the team will be joining over the coming months.

Looking ahead, the plant’s backers aim to create an industrial ecosystem that will attract suppliers and support services to the area.

^{Photo: Leapmotor}