Leapmotor registers 30.9% growth in October and achieves sales record in Brazil

Leapmotor achieved a new sales record during October, significantly approaching its goal of selling one million automobiles by 2026. The Chinese electrified vehicle manufacturer, which has a partnership with Stellantis, delivered 106,127 units globally in October, representing a 51% increase compared to the same period last year. This was the fourth consecutive month the company surpassed the mark of 100,000 cars sold.

Accumulating data from January to October, total sales reached 772,666 vehicles, which constitutes a 65.9% growth when compared to the corresponding period in 2025. Despite this robust performance, reaching the one million goal still requires additional effort. To achieve this objective, Leapmotor needs to sell another 227,334 cars in November and December, implying a monthly average of 113,667 units, surpassing the record set in October.

Furthermore, the brand is preparing for another important milestone: according to the company itself, the 2 millionth vehicle is expected to be introduced into the production line in November. As of the end of October, cumulative deliveries throughout Leapmotor's history already exceeded 1.9 million units.

The brand's international expansion is facilitated by Stellantis, which holds a 51% stake in Leapmotor International. This joint venture has the exclusive right to produce and sell Leapmotor cars outside the Chinese market. In Europe, serial production of the B10 SUV began in October at the Stellantis factory located in Zaragoza, Spain. Leapmotor also maintains a battery module unit in Mallén, also situated in the same European country.

In October, the brand presented the A05 and the D19 SUV at the Paris Motor Show, where both vehicles debuted on the European continent. In Southeast Asia, specifically in Thailand, the compact SUV A10 was launched on October 30. In Brazil, where Leapmotor entered at the end of 2025 through Stellantis, the company sells the C10 and B10 SUVs. In October, the B10 model received a new version equipped with an extended range extender, where the combustion engine is used only to generate electricity for the battery, offered for R$ 179,990 on promotion.

In the first nine months of 2026, South Africans purchased more new energy vehicles than in the entire previous year, with most of them being plug-in hybrids. Plug-in hybrids are selling more than two and a half times as often as fully electric vehicles.

According to industry body Naamsa, published in its October sales report on Monday, the total number of new energy vehicle sales—including hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and battery electric vehicles—reached 22,389 by the end of September. This figure is 34% higher than the 16,703 units sold throughout all of 2025, and there is still a quarter of the year left.

Rechargeable vehicles accounted for 50.5% of new energy sales this year, surpassing half of the cumulative volume in July. Of these, 8,082 were plug-in hybrids, and 3,217 were battery electric vehicles, compared to 11,090 traditional hybrids that cannot be charged from the electrical grid.

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) made up about 14% of new energy sales and less than 1% of approximately 490,000 new cars sold in the first nine months. The publication TechCentral reported in August that the hybrid boom was masking the stagnation of the fully electric car market.

Fuel costs rose sharply in October: petrol with an octane rating of 95 in the Inland region exceeded the 30 rand per liter mark for the first time, reaching 30.25 rand on October 7, which is 12.4% higher than in September. According to Naamsa, even after the reduction in fuel levy announced in the medium-term budget—a decrease of 1.50 rand per liter for petrol and 3 rand per liter for diesel from November 4—the price of petrol will remain approximately 39% higher than the January level based on October prices.

The state of Maranhão registered the opening of 58,698 small businesses between January and September 2026. This number represents a growth of 20.5% compared to the 48,716 new ventures counted in the same period of 2025. The data was compiled in a survey released by the Brazilian Service for Support to Micro and Small Businesses (Sebrae).

Based on information provided by the Federal Revenue and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), nearly ten thousand additional businesses were formalized in the state over the course of a year.

São Luís concentrates new businesses

The Services sector led the registration of new openings, totaling 31,584 new businesses between January and September 2026. This volume corresponds to 53.8% of the total registered in the period and demonstrates a 27.8% advance compared to the corresponding months of 2025.

In industry, 3,793 new companies were registered, which constitutes an increase of 29.4%. The agricultural sector showed the largest percentage growth among all analyzed segments, rising from 396 to 586 new businesses, an advance of 48%. Civil construction also grew by 27.8%, while commerce registered an increase of 7.8%.

Among the segments with the highest number of openings, Logistics and Transport increased from 7,372 registrations in 2025 to 8,668 in 2026, representing a growth of 17.6%. Conversely, the other four of the top five segments—Health and Wellness, supermarkets and food wholesalers, Home and Construction, and Food Services—showed a reduction in the number of new businesses.

The distribution of these new ventures varies among the municipalities of Maranhão. São Luís remained the main hub for openings, while São José de Ribamar saw a growth of 12.6%, increasing from 3,023 to 3,403 new businesses when comparing the periods.

This growth was significantly driven by individual microentrepreneurs (MEIs). Maranhão increased its formalizations in this category from 32,031 in January to September 2025 to 41,755 in the same period of 2026, a jump of 30.4%. Microenterprises registered a growth of 1.4%, and small businesses advanced by 2.5%.

Friends turn recipes into a business

A notable example of a new venture in Maranhão is the trajectory of Nara Corrêa and Milena Godinho Cardoso. Both wished to start their own business and establish a brand that reflected their identity.

Thus was born Que Doce!, a company specializing in frozen desserts, which started as an individual microenterprise (MEI) and recently migrated to the microenterprise category. Planning began in 2025, when the partners decided to convert their interest in confectionery into a commercial activity, and the first tests generated the current recipes in the company's portfolio.

After testing various products, the entrepreneurs opted to focus on producing frozen desserts. The first line, named Levinho, includes four flavors: passion fruit, strawberry, chocolate, and purple grape. The intention is to offer an item that can be consumed frozen, like ice cream, or after thawing, acquiring a creamy texture.

The company is preparing for a new phase, which involves changes in visual identity and packaging, as well as a greater focus on promoting the Levinho line. The partners are also working on regularizing the business with the aim of expanding production and, eventually, building an industrial structure. Nara Corrêa stated: 'Our biggest dream is to become a genuinely Maranhão frozen dessert industry.'

Consultancies help structure the company

Contact with Sebrae was established through the Syndicate of Food Industries of the State of Maranhão (Siama), which is part of the Federation of Industries of the State of Maranhão (Fiema). This entity encouraged the entrepreneurs to formalize their activities and structure the company.

Since then, Que Doce! has received support from the Regional Unit of Sebrae in São Luís. The partners also participate in consultations in various areas to improve management and business processes. According to the entrepreneurs, this monitoring helped identify areas needing improvement and define goals and phases for the business development.

Progress includes investments made with capital derived from sales. The partners emphasize that growth requires planning and respect for the financial conditions of each stage. Nara Corrêa stressed: 'Experience shows that the growth of a small business does not depend only on gaining customers. It is necessary to develop management capabilities, adapt production, and create conditions for the company to operate in a regular and sustainable manner.'