On the morning of November 4, China Economic Net reported that, based on trustworthy sources, FAW Group was set to incrementally acquire equity stakes in Leapmotor through a private placement, eventually becoming its primary shareholder. The proposal had allegedly received approval from the relevant authorities and was slated for an official announcement on November 17.

Reacting promptly to these rumors, Leapmotor's official spokespersons informed multiple media outlets that evening that the information was inaccurate. Zhu Jiangming, the founder, chairman, and CEO of Leapmotor, also firmly dismissed the rumor as "false information."

Indeed, on March 3 of this year, China FAW Group and Leapmotor entered into a Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Cooperation. This agreement outlined their commitment to collaboratively develop new energy passenger vehicles and parts, while also exploring the potential for deeper capital collaboration.

Subsequently, the partnership between the two entities began to materialize progressively. On March 26, Leapmotor Technology emerged as the successful bidder for the technical procurement project involving the joint development of the complete vehicle and platform license fees for the FAW Hongqi brand's G117 product.

On April 27, Leapmotor further solidified its cooperation with FAW Group by reaching an agreement to supply an electric vehicle platform for Hongqi, facilitating its expansion into international markets.

On August 18, Leapmotor released its semi-annual report, reiterating that its inaugural jointly developed vehicle project with China FAW had been executed, with subsequent tasks actively progressing. Simultaneously, both parties committed to further exploring the feasibility of deepening capital cooperation to achieve comprehensive industrial chain synergy.

It is understood that the new Hongqi model, co-developed by Leapmotor and FAW, is scheduled to commence production in the latter half of 2026. Utilizing the same platform as the Leapmotor B10, this vehicle will offer both pure electric and extended-range variants, with potential for future exports to markets such as Europe, the UK, and Australia.

Merely two days later, on August 20, Cailian Press reported that "FAW is planning to make a preliminary tender offer to acquire approximately 10% of Leapmotor's shares, with the proposal currently being circulated and advanced within relevant departments at FAW."

In response to this speculation, Leapmotor chose to "remain silent" at the time, while relevant departments at FAW Group indicated they were "unaware" of such plans. This ambiguous response fueled extensive market speculation.

However, with the joint statement issued by Leapmotor and its CEO this time, the rumor of "FAW acquiring Leapmotor" has been effectively dispelled.

Currently, Leapmotor's equity is predominantly held by the founder group and Stellantis Group, which acquired a stake in 2023. Data reveals that as of June 30 of this year, the founder group, comprising Zhu Jiangming and his spouse Liu Yunzhen, along with Fu Liquan, one of Leapmotor's founding partners, and his spouse Chen Ailing, along with their concert parties, held 25.8% of Leapmotor's equity; Stellantis Group held 21.26%.

According to the latest delivery figures, in October of this year, Leapmotor's monthly sales surpassed 70,000 units for the first time, reaching 70,289 vehicles, marking a year-on-year increase of over 84%. The company has maintained its position as the top-selling emerging automaker for eight consecutive months, with cumulative sales from January to October totaling 465,800 vehicles.