NextFin News - Leapmotor founder and CEO Zhu Jiangming reported on Monday that the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer secured more than 9,000 car orders over the final weekend of March 2026. The surge in demand comes as the company attempts to scale its operations toward an ambitious annual delivery target of 1 million units, a goal that would require nearly doubling its 2025 performance of approximately 596,500 vehicles.
The weekend performance, disclosed by Zhu via social media and reported by AASTOCKS, highlights a period of intense competition in the mid-range NEV (New Energy Vehicle) segment. Leapmotor has historically positioned itself as a "value-for-money" alternative, leveraging a high degree of vertical integration. According to company filings, Leapmotor develops and manufactures roughly 60% of its core vehicle components in-house, a strategy designed to insulate margins against the price wars currently defining the Chinese automotive landscape.
Zhu, a veteran of the electronics industry who co-founded the surveillance giant Dahua Technology, has long maintained a pragmatic, cost-centric stance on the EV transition. His leadership is characterized by a focus on "full-stack" R&D rather than the high-concept branding favored by some of his peers. While the 9,000-order weekend suggests strong momentum, it is important to note that this figure represents gross orders, which in the Chinese market are often subject to cancellations or non-binding deposits. This specific data point currently lacks the cross-verification of official monthly delivery reports, which typically provide a more accurate reflection of realized revenue.
The company’s aggressive 2026 roadmap relies heavily on its strategic partnership with Stellantis, the European automotive conglomerate that holds a 20% stake in the firm. This joint venture, Leapmotor International, is the primary vehicle for the brand’s expansion into 35 global markets. By utilizing Stellantis’s existing distribution networks, Leapmotor aims to bypass the logistical hurdles that have slowed other Chinese entrants. However, this international push faces mounting headwinds from shifting trade policies and potential tariffs in both the European Union and the United States, which could complicate the path to the 1-million-unit milestone.
Market analysts remain divided on whether Leapmotor can sustain this pace without further eroding its bottom line. While the company achieved profitability in 2025, the cost of acquiring 9,000 orders in a single weekend likely involved significant promotional spending. Skeptics point to the "protective mode" strategy recently mentioned by COO Xu Jun, which emphasizes stable sales over the creation of singular "blockbuster" models. This suggests a cautious internal recognition that the hyper-growth phase of the early 2020s is giving way to a more grueling battle for market share where volume does not always equate to value.
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