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Peugeot’s Next-Gen EV Offensive Begins as Stellantis Commits €1 Billion to France

Stellantis is putting serious money behind Peugeot’s future. The automaker announced today that it will invest more than €1 billion ($1.1 billion) in France to develop and build three new Peugeot models based on its upcoming STLA One architecture, a next-generation platform designed to underpin both electric and hybrid vehicles.

The three new C-segment models—Europe’s automotive sweet spot—will enter production at Stellantis’ Mulhouse plant in eastern France beginning in 2029. While the company stopped short of revealing body styles or model names, the announcement offers one of the clearest looks yet at how Stellantis intends to execute its ambitious FaSTLAne 2030 strategy.

Peugeot Leads the Charge

Among Stellantis’ sprawling portfolio of brands, Peugeot has emerged as one of the group’s most strategically important players. The French marque will become the first Stellantis brand to launch vehicles based on the STLA One platform, effectively serving as the proving ground for technology that will eventually spread across the company’s global operations.

STLA One represents a significant departure from today’s vehicle architectures. Designed as a highly modular and scalable platform, it can accommodate multiple vehicle sizes and powertrain configurations while simplifying development and manufacturing processes. Stellantis says the architecture targets a 20-percent improvement in cost efficiency through greater standardization and economies of scale.

That’s a critical objective as automakers navigate the expensive transition toward electrification while attempting to keep vehicle prices competitive.

Betting Big on the C-Segment

If there is one segment worth fighting for in Europe, it’s the C-segment. Accounting for roughly 30 percent of all passenger-car sales across the continent, it remains the heart of the European market despite the industry’s ongoing shift toward crossovers and SUVs.

By introducing three new electric and hybrid models in this category, Stellantis is strengthening Peugeot’s presence where the volumes are highest and where competition is fiercest. The move also aligns with the company’s broader European strategy of expanding market coverage while maintaining profitability.

Although Stellantis hasn’t disclosed technical specifications, the flexibility of the STLA One platform suggests the upcoming models could span multiple body styles, potentially including hatchbacks, crossovers, and fastback variants.

Securing Mulhouse’s Future

The investment isn’t just about new vehicles—it’s also about securing the future of one of Stellantis’ most important French manufacturing facilities.

The Mulhouse plant, which employs approximately 4,500 workers, has long been a cornerstone of Peugeot production. Bringing three next-generation vehicles to the facility provides long-term visibility during a period when many European factories face uncertainty as the industry pivots toward electrified vehicles.

For Stellantis, the project demonstrates an effort to combine electrification with domestic industrial production rather than shifting manufacturing elsewhere. The company says the investment will improve capacity utilization at the site while reinforcing France’s role within its global manufacturing network.

Government Support Plays a Role

Stellantis also credited French and European industrial policies for helping create the conditions necessary for the investment. The company specifically highlighted incentives supporting clean-vehicle adoption and broader “Made-in-Europe” initiatives aimed at strengthening regional manufacturing competitiveness.

As European governments increasingly seek to counter growing competition from Chinese automakers while accelerating the transition to zero-emission transportation, investments like this are becoming central to the continent’s industrial strategy.

A Glimpse of Stellantis’ Future

Speaking from the Mulhouse facility, Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa described the decision as a reflection of both the company’s long-term strategy and the capabilities of its French workforce.

More importantly, the announcement provides a tangible example of what FaSTLAne 2030 looks like in practice: fewer, more flexible platforms; greater manufacturing efficiency; and a renewed emphasis on global scale combined with local production.

The first STLA One-based Peugeot won’t arrive for several years, but today’s announcement makes one thing clear: Stellantis is betting that the future of Europe’s volume car market will be built in France—and powered increasingly by electrons.

Source: Stellantis

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Leapmotor Hits New High as Global Expansion Gains Pace

If there were any doubts about Leapmotor’s place among China’s rapidly expanding electric-vehicle brands, May’s sales figures should put them to rest.

The EV maker delivered 81,569 vehicles worldwide during the month, setting a new all-time monthly record and extending a growth streak that has become increasingly difficult to ignore. The result represents an 81 percent increase over May of last year and a 14.3 percent jump compared with April, when Leapmotor had already posted what was then its strongest month ever.

The latest milestone underscores the remarkable pace at which the company has been scaling. Through the first five months of the year, Leapmotor delivered 263,111 vehicles globally, up 51.5 percent compared with the same period a year ago. In a market where competition is intensifying and price wars continue to pressure margins, sustained growth of that magnitude stands out.

Leapmotor’s momentum has been fueled by a combination of aggressive product expansion, competitive pricing, and growing consumer demand for affordable electric vehicles. While many emerging EV manufacturers have struggled to convert early enthusiasm into consistent sales volume, Leapmotor appears to be doing exactly that.

The company’s previous monthly record of 71,387 deliveries, achieved in April, lasted just one month before being eclipsed. That rapid progression highlights the speed at which the brand is expanding both domestically and abroad.

International growth is expected to play an increasingly important role in the next phase of the company’s strategy. Later this month, Leapmotor will launch its B05 electric hatchback across 28 overseas markets, marking one of the brand’s most ambitious global rollouts to date.

The move signals more than just geographic expansion. It also reflects Leapmotor’s intention to move beyond its reputation as a maker of affordable mass-market EVs. By broadening its portfolio and targeting higher-value segments, the company aims to attract a wider range of customers while improving profitability.

For now, however, the numbers tell the story. Record deliveries, accelerating global expansion, and a growing lineup have positioned Leapmotor as one of the fastest-rising names in the electric-vehicle industry. As established automakers and newer EV startups battle for market share, Leapmotor is proving that scale—and speed—can still be a winning combination.

Whether the company can maintain this momentum throughout the remainder of the year remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Leapmotor is no longer a niche player in China’s crowded EV market. It’s becoming a global contender.

Source: Stellantis

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The $143 Million Mercedes That Rewrote Automotive History

For decades, the crown seemed untouchable.

The Ferrari 250 GTO wasn’t merely the world’s most expensive car—it was the benchmark against which every collector car was measured. Built in tiny numbers, blessed with racing pedigree, and wrapped in one of the most beautiful bodies ever shaped by human hands, the GTO occupied a mythical place in automotive history. Yet in a single evening, a silver Mercedes-Benz quietly shattered that hierarchy.

In May 2022, a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé crossed the auction block for an astonishing $143 million, instantly becoming the most expensive car ever sold. The figure wasn’t just a new record—it was a seismic shift. The previous benchmark, a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, changed hands for roughly €48 million in 2018. By comparison, the Mercedes achieved nearly three times that amount.

And perhaps the most remarkable thing about the sale is that the car had never even raced.

The Ultimate Mercedes Nobody Could Buy

To understand why collectors were willing to spend nine figures on a Mercedes, you have to understand what the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé represents.

Built during the golden age of motorsport, the 300 SLR combined Formula 1-derived engineering with one of the most striking bodies ever to emerge from Stuttgart. Underneath the sleek coupe bodywork was technology directly descended from Mercedes’ dominant racing efforts of the mid-1950s. It was a machine conceived to conquer endurance racing at the highest level.

Only two examples were ever built.

That fact alone places the Uhlenhaut Coupé in a category beyond almost every collectible automobile on earth. One example features a red interior and remains fully operational. The other, trimmed in blue, resides permanently within the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.

Rarity, however, is only part of the story.

The Race Car That Never Raced

The two coupés were originally intended for Mercedes’ assault on the 1956 World Sports Car Championship. But history intervened.

The cancellation of the grueling Carrera Panamericana removed one of the key events the car had been designed to contest. At the same time, Mercedes had already made the decision to withdraw from top-level sports car racing following the 1955 season.

The result was one of motorsport’s great what-ifs. A revolutionary racing machine was completed just as its reason for existing disappeared.

Rather than leave the cars gathering dust, Rudolf Uhlenhaut—Mercedes-Benz’s brilliant head of development and one of the engineering giants of the era—put one of the coupés into service as his personal company car. The image of Uhlenhaut commuting in what was effectively a road-going racing prototype has since become part of automotive folklore.

His association with the car became so strong that the model eventually adopted his name.

Who Bought the World’s Most Expensive Car?

The winning bid was placed by Swiss-based luxury car specialist Simon Kidston during the exclusive RM Sotheby’s auction held inside the Mercedes-Benz Museum.

Few believed Kidston was bidding for himself.

Almost immediately, speculation centered on Sir James Arthur Ratcliffe, the British billionaire and founder of chemical giant Ineos. Ratcliffe’s estimated fortune, along with his extensive ties to Mercedes, made him a logical candidate.

The businessman owns a stake in the Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 operation and previously acquired the former Smart production facility in Hambach, France. While the true ownership of the car remains surrounded by discretion, Ratcliffe’s name continues to surface whenever the sale is discussed.

Then again, when a car costs $143 million, anonymity becomes one of its most valuable options.

A Victory for Stuttgart

Beyond the staggering headline figure, the sale carried symbolic significance.

For years, Ferrari dominated the upper reaches of the collector-car market. Maranello’s greatest machines were considered the ultimate trophies, with the 250 GTO standing as the undisputed king.

The Uhlenhaut Coupé changed that narrative overnight.

Mercedes-Benz didn’t simply sell a rare automobile; it reminded the collector world that Stuttgart’s history contains machines every bit as significant, desirable, and technologically groundbreaking as anything ever produced in Italy.

Whether the record will stand forever remains impossible to predict. Wealthy collectors have a habit of making the impossible seem inevitable. But surpassing $143 million would require an automobile of extraordinary rarity, historical importance, and provenance.

Cars meeting all three criteria can be counted on one hand.

For now, the most desirable automobile on the planet wears a three-pointed star, and somewhere in the world, a collector owns a piece of automotive history that may never be matched—let alone surpassed.

Source: RM Sotheby’s; Photos: James Lipman – Hagerty

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