Stellantis NVStellantis cutting 650 engineering jobs at Opel's Ruesselsheim site amid partnership expansion.
Opel is expanding its partnership with China's Leapmotor to build a new SUV, tapping the Hangzhou-based company's expertise on electric vehicles and low-cost production while cutting 650 engineering jobs at its Ruesselsheim development centre. Stellantis, Opel's parent company, announced the cuts in April from a total workforce of 1,650 at the site, amid a wave of job cuts across the German auto industry. Opel boss Florian Huettl said the partnership would combine German industrial know-how with Chinese software expertise, noting Chinese carmakers captured 9 percent of the EU market in the first five months of 2026 and 10.5 percent in June. The workforce at Ruesselsheim has shrunk from a 1970s peak of around 42,000 employees to approximately 6,800 by the end of 2025, and the city is now seeking to diversify economically, including plans to transform 140,000 square meters of released industrial land into a green hydrogen technology hub.
Stellantis NVStellantis cutting 650 engineering jobs at Opel's Ruesselsheim site amid partnership expansion.
Zhejiang Leapmotor Tech CoLeapmotor's partnership with Opel expands to build a new SUV, leveraging its EV and low-cost expertise.