Electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Leapmotor has announced that it plans to have 80 UK retailers by the end of 2025.

After launching in the UK earlier this year, the brand has now has 46 retailers nationwide, with a total of 600 Sales and Service Points across Europe.

In addition to growing its UK dealer network, the firm hopes to reach 700 Sales and Service locations continent-wide, by the end of the year.

Through this expansion, Leapmotor hopes to reduce the average drive time to one of its Sales and Service retailers to under 25 minutes, across the continent.

Initial models include the T03 EV city car, and the C10, a D-Segment electric SUV, which competes with the Tesla Model Y.

It aims to become one of the leading EV providers in Europe, in a time where other Chinese brands are becoming increasingly competitive across European car markets.

Danilo Annese, head of Europe commercial operations at Leapmotor International, said: “This rapid expansion underlines our commitment to building a truly customer-centric EV ecosystem in Europe.

“We are not only scaling our presence but ensuring that Leapmotor owners enjoy comprehensive support and service wherever they are.”

Leapmotor International is a joint venture between Chinese EV manufacturer Leapmotor, and Stellantis, with Stellantis owning the controlling share.

The firm believes that a robust dealer and service network is key to building brand trust, and that this will prove crucial in enabling more widespread EV adoption.

In the last two weeks alone, Leapmotor has entered seven new markets in Europe: Ireland, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, and Croatia.