Without depending only on Ro-Ro ships, Leapmotor fixes the cars to structures hoisted by cranes and has already received more than 1,800 units throughout Rio de Janeiro
Leapmotor started to import its cars to Brazil through a new path. In addition to the traditional Ro-Ro system, the Chinese brand has adopted the flat rack modality in the port of Itaguaí (RJ), in search of more agility and flexibility to supply the national network. The operation is based on Stellantis’ logistics structure, responsible for importing, inspecting and distributing vehicles throughout the country.
In the Ro-Ro system, automobiles enter and exit ships by their own means. In the flat rack, each car is fixed to a metal structure hoisted by cranes, the same used to move containers. The method does not require direct handling of vehicles and allows the use of different types of vessels, which reduces operating time. Flexibility is strategic for an expanding brand: without depending exclusively on Ro-Ro ships, the company is able to fit its cargoes on various ships and speed up the replenishment of inventory at dealerships.
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Leapmotor was the pioneer in the use of the concept inside the Sepetiba Tecon terminal, in Itaguaí. The inaugural landing brought more than 700 vehicles accommodated in about 270 flat racks. Since then, the operation has gained scale: the terminal has received more than 1,800 units of the brand. According to Stellantis, the format reinforces the efficiency, versatility and safety of transport, since the vehicle travels attached to the structure, without having to be driven on board.
After the ship is removed, the cars are loaded onto stork trucks and go to Stellantis’ centers in Porto Real (RJ) and Juiz de Fora (MG), where they undergo pre-delivery inspection (PDI). They are then distributed to dealerships through the same logistics chain already used by the other brands in the group.
The entire line that Leapmotor sells in Brazil lands in Itaguaí: the C10 Electric, the C10 Ultra-Hybrid, appointed by the brand as the only SUV in the country with REEV technology, in which the combustion engine serves only to generate energy, and the B10 Electric. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Hangzhou, China, Leapmotor won Stellantis as a partner in 2023; the following year, the two created the joint venture Leapmotor International to bring Chinese electric vehicles to new markets.
The only Chinese brand in Brazil supported by the Italian-American automaker’s structure, Leapmotor debuted in the domestic market at the end of 2025 and has used the double between flat rack and Ro-Ro to respond faster to demand.
