Just outside Zaragoza, the corporate magic trick of turning Chinese engineering into “Made in Europe” local pride is officially underway. Following an extended summer shutdown, Stellantis has welcomed roughly 400 new workers to its Figueruelas facility in Spain. Most of these fresh recruits spent July in training, eagerly accepting six-to-twelve-month contracts whose ultimate longevity depends entirely on whether European buyers actually want what Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa is cooking.
The grand objective behind this hiring spree is bringing European production of the Leapmotor B10 directly onto Spanish soil. Currently imported straight from China, this C-segment electric SUV delivers 218 HP alongside a choice between 56.2 kWh and 67.1 kWh battery packs.
More importantly, local assembly allows Stellantis to perform some impressive financial gymnastics, effectively dodging the European Union’s punitive tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles. Why hand over steep import duties to Brussels when you can simply ship the hardware to Zaragoza, bolt it together, and call it European craftsmanship?
Figueruelas is already a heavy-lifting facility, pumping out high-volume staples like the Opel Corsa, Peugeot 208, and Lancia Ypsilon. Adding the Leapmotor B10 to the lineup turns Zaragoza into a strategic hub for the Stellantis-Leapmotor joint venture. It is a pivot that likely stings in Tychy, Poland, which originally hosted trial assembly for the smaller T03 before watching the lucrative B10 contract slide over to Spain.
The next eighteen months will be a relentless grind for the Spanish plant. Beyond locking down B10 production, the factory is quietly preparing for a 2028 Opel electric SUV. Slotted neatly between the Frontera and Grandland, this upcoming C-segment crossover will rely heavily on Leapmotor’s architecture, while Opel’s engineers back in Rüsselsheim try to convince buyers it still has an authentic German soul.
By sharing technology and slashing development costs, Stellantis hopes to offer a budget-friendly EV without eroding its own profit margins. For those 400 new temporary hires in Spain, job security entirely depends on whether European drivers embrace this cross-continental Frankenstein strategy.
