China's Leapmotor unveils new manufacturing platform, wants others to
use it
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[August 01, 2023] SHANGHAI
(Reuters) -Chinese electric vehicle maker Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology
unveiled on Monday a new platform it developed in-house for making
vehicles, which its chief executive said it wants to license to other
automakers.
The "Four Leaf Clover" architecture features an integrated computing
platform capable of controlling all intelligent functions including an
EV's autonomous driving and smart cockpit functions, Leapmotor's CEO Zhu
Jiangming told reporters in Shanghai.
The company hopes to sell the platform to other automakers via tech
licensing agreements, he said.
Leapmotor is in advanced talks with two foreign companies about such
partnerships, including a new player in the electric vehicle segment,
which could produce Leapmotor-developed models in overseas markets, Zhu
said without elaborating.
"We hope Leapmotor will not only be an EV brand but also a licensor of
core technologies," Zhu said.
Companies in the automotive sector use the terms platform and
architecture to describe the basic engineering and design that
determines a vehicle’s size, weight and key elements of performance.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Aug/01/images/ads/current/graue_sda_042021.png)
A senior Leapmotor engineer told the event the firm had achieved cost
savings with the architecture by reducing the use of controls and wire
harnesses, and Zhu said this would cut the materials cost per car by 500
yuan ($70).
The company is already planning to launch the platform's next generation
in 2025, which would include improvements in computing capabilities and
smart cockpits, Zhu said.
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![](../images/080123PIX/busine95.jpg)
Robotic arms assemble cars in the
production line for Leapmotor's electric vehicles at a factory in
Jinhua, Zhejiang province, China, April 26, 2023. China Daily via
REUTERS/File Photo
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Aug/01/images/ads/current/martinauction_quarter_FAIR_2023.png)
Zhu, a veteran electronics engineer who co-founded surveillance
giant Dahua, launched Leapmotor in 2015 with the backing of
investors including state-owned Shanghai Electric Group Corp and
Hongshan, formerly known as Sequoia Capital China.
The company and its fellow Chinese EV startups have been struggling
with losses and declining sales since U.S. rival Tesla started a
price war at the beginning of the year.
Leapmotor, which employs more than 2,000 engineers, sold 44,500
units in the first half, 14% fewer than a year ago.
But some young EV manufacturers, thanks to their heavy research and
development investment, have been at the forefront of EV technology
innovation that appeals to tech-savvy Chinese consumers who like
having more intelligent features in cars.
Leapmotor spent 11% of its total revenue on R&D in 2022.
Volkswagen and Xpeng announced last week a partnership to jointly
develop EVs on Xpeng's G9 "Edward" platform, in a fillip for the
Chinese startup that analysts said could boost its sales and
profitability.
($1 = 7.1512 Chinese yuan renminbi)
(Reporting by Zhang Yan and Brenda Goh; Editing by Jacqueline Wong,
Robert Birsel and Tomasz Janowski)
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