In-depth intelligence on China's EV sector and its impact on Europe
Leapmotor T03 recorded 5,022 registrations in Italy in March 2026, becoming the best selling EV and the first Chinese model to enter the overall top three in the Italian passenger car market. The €4,900 post subsidy price combines government incentives with manufacturer discounts, while the vehicle remains subject to a 30.7% EU countervailing duty.
Leapmotor opened its first overseas design centre in Munich and is producing prototypes in Spain, with commercial production starting October 2026. A Stellantis partnership, a Chinese state-owned minority shareholder, and a Spain-built SUV priced below European rivals. The category question is genuinely open.
After decades of Western dominance, the pressure from China’s automotive sector has become so intense that the traditional powers are no longer simply competing—they are surrendering to the logic of their challengers and, in some cases, literally proposing to copy the playbook that China wrote three decades ago.
