FAW and Leapmotor sign agreement to deepen strategic cooperation across EVs, batteries and robots
China's oldest automaker FAW and EV maker Leapmotor deepened a partnership already advancing since March 2025, adding areas from batteries to embodied robots.
- 457,800 vehicles
- +68.4%
- 66 million+
- 65%
What Happened
FAW and Leapmotor held a signing ceremony in Changchun on August 24 to formalize an agreement to deepen their strategic cooperation. Liu Yigong, President of FAW and Deputy Secretary of its Party Committee, and Zhu Jiangming, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Leapmotor, attended and witnessed the signing. The two companies first signed a strategic cooperation memorandum of understanding in March 2025 and have since advanced equity investment, the joint development and market introduction of new energy vehicles, and the building of industrial chains and ecosystem.
- Capital cooperation
- New energy vehicles
- Assisted and intelligent driving
- Powertrains
- Power batteries
- Intelligent chassis
FAW and Leapmotor sign a strategic cooperation memorandum of understanding.
FAW and Leapmotor sign the agreement to deepen strategic cooperation in Changchun.
The first model jointly developed on the basis of their complementary advantages is about to enter mass production. Qixin Power hybrid engines will serve as supporting components for Leapmotor's global models. Looking ahead, FAW and Leapmotor say they will coordinate resources around a framework of 'capital + industry + product + technology + ecosystem' to create an integrated and symbiotic development landscape and inject new momentum into the high-quality development of China's new energy vehicle industry.
Leapmotor describes itself as a technology-driven smart NEV manufacturer with full-domain independent R&D and deep in-house manufacturing. It masters core technologies accounting for over 65 percent of total vehicle cost, achieves a platform commonality rate of over 88 percent, and has built 18 in-house plants for core components. Through sustained technological innovation, it says it has developed better-equipped, high-quality products at competitive prices. It also reported record sales at home and abroad, delivering 457,800 vehicles in the first seven months of this year, up 68.4 percent year-on-year.
FAW, founded in 1953, is China's oldest and largest automotive group and a leading global manufacturer of passenger cars, trucks, and buses. It says it has remained committed to its mission of 'strengthening the country through industry and manufacturing' since its founding. Cumulative vehicle sales exceed 66 million units, and annual sales exceed three million units. The company says it combines independent innovation across the entire industrial chain with open cooperation as it transforms into a technology-driven enterprise.
Previously from FAW Group
FAW has been laying out advanced technology across its brands. At its 2026 technology conference in Changchun, the chairman detailed Hongqi's five 'brand genes' and three platforms covering areas such as solid-state batteries and AI cockpits. Separately, at the 2026 World Robot Conference in Beijing, FAW brought an embodied-intelligence robot lineup including a wheeled-arm robot that works on real assembly lines.
- China FAW chairman outlines Hongqi's five brand genes and three tech platforms at 2026 conference
- FAW Demonstrates Intelligent Robots for Auto Manufacturing at 2026 World Robot Conference
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of FAW Group's official releases.
Why this matters
FAW's scale — 66 million-plus cumulative vehicles — meets Leapmotor's in-house EV tech covering over 65 percent of vehicle cost. The companies say the pact boosts innovation and competitiveness as their first co-developed model nears production and Qixin hybrid engines go into Leapmotor's global models. It adds momentum to China's NEV industry, where Leapmotor deliveries rose 68.4 percent in the first seven months.
Terms in This Story
- NEV
- New Energy Vehicle; in China, an umbrella term for battery-electric, plug-in hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles.
- Memorandum of understanding
- A non-binding agreement outlining the broad terms of a future partnership.
- Platform commonality
- The share of components and systems shared across different vehicle models built on the same platform.
- Powertrain
- The system that generates power and delivers it to the road, typically including the engine or motor, transmission and drive shafts.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.