Stellantis Gains Ground in Italy as Leapmotor Surpasses BYD

The Italian car market continued its upward trajectory in February, fueled by incentives for electric vehicle purchases. Overall sales rose 14% compared to February 2025, reaching 157,334 units. Stellantis, under the leadership of CEO Antonio Filosa, spearheaded this growth, delivering 53,592 cars – a 27.7% increase that boosted its market share from 30.4% to 34%.

Fiat’s Resurgence and Leapmotor’s Rise

Stellantis’s success is largely attributed to a significant comeback by Fiat, which sold over 21,000 cars in February, representing a 42.9% increase. Still, the group also benefited from its Chinese partner, Leapmotor, which registered over 5,000 cars during the month. This performance placed Leapmotor ahead of established brands like Ford, Hyundai, Kia, and even BYD, which tripled its deliveries compared to February 2025, reaching 4,110 units.

This dynamic illustrates Stellantis’s strategy of addressing the Chinese automotive offensive by partnering with a Chinese brand – a case of “if you can’t beat them, join them.”

Electric Vehicle Market Trends

Despite Tesla’s continued struggles – with sales falling another 7% to 786 units in February – the electric vehicle market as a whole experienced growth. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) achieved a 7.9% market share, totaling 12,572 units, an increase from 5.0% in February 2025 and 6.6% the previous month. These figures were significantly influenced by government incentives, which created some distortions in competition .

Stellantis and BYD: A Shifting Landscape

Recent developments highlight a complex relationship between Stellantis and BYD. In February 2025, Stellantis announced a deal with BYD for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries to be used in new, short-range versions of the Citroën ë-C3 and Fiat Grande Panda . These models are expected to retail for under €20,000, offering a range of 200-250km from a 30-35kWh battery.

However, tensions have emerged, with Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa claiming that Leapmotor outsold BYD in Germany. BYD swiftly responded, stating that from January to August 2025, it registered 8,610 vehicles in Germany, significantly surpassing Leapmotor’s 3,536 units . Official figures from Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) largely corroborate BYD’s statement.

Stellantis dealers in Germany are reportedly signing up to sell BYD vehicles, a move that is causing friction within Stellantis . Two former Stellantis executives are now leading BYD’s European expansion, further complicating the dynamic.