According to Reuters, production is scheduled to begin in 2026 and could involve thousands of vehicles. SuperPanther, based in Changzhou and founded in 2022, aims to sell up to 16,000 electric trucks in Europe by 2030. The company is backed by Chinese investors including Sequoia Capital China and Shunwei Capital.
The trucks to be assembled at Steyr will differ from SuperPanther’s typical three-axle models sold in China. The European versions will be adapted to local market standards, allowing the Chinese firm to avoid EU import tariffs by manufacturing within the bloc.
“This partnership is one of several positive signs in the business areas of Steyr Automotive,” said Manfred Eibeck, Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Steyr Automotive, in a statement published by the company. He added that the agreement was shaped by a shared focus on “problem solving and rapid project completion.”
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Steyr Automotive, formerly part of MAN and acquired by Austrian investor Siegfried Wolf in 2021, also reports that it is hiring around 80 new employees in its plastic parts painting division. In addition, orders for its MUT municipal vehicle superstructures—used for waste collection and street sweeping—are said to be developing positively.
Further details regarding model specifications and production volumes have not yet been disclosed.
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