Gowan Auto has secured exclusive rights to import electric vehicles from Chinese manufacturer Leapmotor.
Established in 2015 as a joint venture between Stellantis and Leapmotor China, Leapmotor has become one of the fastest-growing electric vehicle brands in China and will officially enter the Irish market in September.
Gowan Auto, a member of the Gowan Group of companies, is the exclusive importer and distributor in Ireland of Stellantis brands including Alfa Romeo, Citroën, DS, Fiat, Fiat Professional, Jeep, Opel, Peugeot and Honda.
"Gowan Group is very pleased to announce the imminent arrival of Leapmotor in Ireland. Leapmotor aims to become Ireland’s best value electric vehicle brand by offering high levels of specification and advanced technology as standard," said Michael Dwan, managing director of Gowan Group.
"Leapmotor’s core philosophy is that customers should not have to compromise on quality or features for affordability, delivering a true value without compromise proposition for Irish car buyers.”
Leapmotor will be headquartered at Gowan Auto's distribution in Citywest, where the group has united all its car brands under one roof.
The premises include expansive office space, an 80,000sq ft parts warehouse, a contemporary training academy, and an extensive marketing showroom.
The Leapmotor Ireland team at Gowan Auto will be spearheaded by managing director James Brooks, who will retain responsibility for the Opel brand.
He will be joined by Stephen McGrath, formerly head of product and pricing at Peugeot and DS Ireland, who has been appointed brand manager.
Mark Brennan, formerly marketing executive at DS Ireland, has been appointed marketing manager at Leapmotor Ireland, and both McGrath and Brennan have been tasked with key roles in establishing Leapmotor’s presence and driving brand growth in Ireland.
Emma Toner is marketing director for Leapmotor, in addition to her current brand, Opel. Recruitment for a business development manager will commence soon.
Leapmotor will launch in Ireland in September with two models: the T03 compact B-segment hatchback (37.3 kWh battery) and the spacious C10 D-segment SUV (69.9 kWh batter).
Leapmotor will expand its Irish line-up by a further six models by 2028. The Leapmotor B10, a C-SUV size vehicle, will be added to the model range in the autumn.
Full pricing and specifications details for the new T03, B10 and C10, together with the locations of the dealerships that will represent the Leapmotor brand in Ireland, will be announced imminently.
Photo: The Leapmotor T03. (Pic: Supplied)
