Asia Tech Wire (June 14) -- Jeep maker Stellantis will shift some production of Chinese electric car brand Leapmotor to Europe, according to the Financial Times.

Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares confirmed that some Leapmotor vehicles will go into assembly at one of Stellantis' European plants, the report said.

He said the tariffs that the EU has recently announced on Chinese electric cars were above levels that would be more reasonable for imports than for local production.

Tavares added that the EU's decision corrects the lack of competitiveness of European automakers against their Chinese counterparts.

In October 2023, Stellantis announced that it would invest approximately €1.5 billion to acquire approximately 20% of Leapmotor.

Stellantis and Leapmotor announced the formalization of the joint venture Leapmotor International in May.

The joint venture plans to launch Leapmotor vehicles in nine European markets, including France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Greece and Romania, starting in September.