The first units of the Lepas 8, Chery’s new plug-in hybrid SUV, have reached Barcelona after a reported 25-day, 17,000-kilometre journey from Wuhu, China. The route combines river transport with an ocean passage along major Asian and European shipping corridors, showing the logistics behind the brand’s entry into Spain.
Production begins at Chery’s facility in Wuhu, on the Yangtze River. From there, the vehicles travel about 500 kilometres downstream by river barge, a leg reported to take roughly two days. They then reach Shanghai and transfer to ocean-going car carriers. The maritime route covers nearly 16,500 kilometres, crossing the East and South China seas. It then passes through the Strait of Malacca and the Indian Ocean before continuing toward Europe.
The ships cross the Arabian Sea and enter the Gulf of Aden. From there, they pass through the Red Sea before transiting the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean. Barcelona is the route’s final port and a basic entry point for the brand’s Spanish launch. By combining inland waterway and sea transport, the journey links Chery’s Wuhu production base with the European market without relying on a single transport mode.
The L8 is the first model establishing LEPAS in Europe. Chery has positioned the marque around accessible premium design, setting it apart from its Omoda and Jaecoo brands. LEPAS made its European debut during Milan Design Week in April 2026. By October, the company said presales of the L8 had begun in several European countries. Spain was selected as the brand’s initial European market; Austria is also planned for a Q1 2027 introduction, with the L8 expected to lead there.
For the European market, automotive coverage describes a plug-in hybrid with five seats and front-wheel lead, producing 279 CV, or approximately 279 hp. Its system pairs a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with two electric motors, while a dedicated hybrid transmission manages power delivery. Italian coverage specifies a 143-CV petrol engine and a 204-CV traction motor. A second motor acts as a generator, and combined torque is reported at 365 Nm. The 18.4-kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery is rated for up to 90 kilometres of electric driving under the WLTP cycle, or 123 kilometres on the urban cycle. Reported performance figures are 0-100 km/h in 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 180 km/h.
Spanish reports put the L8 at about 4.69 metres long, with a 2.8-metre wheelbase. Its boot holds 507 litres, expanding to 1,314 litres when the rear seats are folded. Equipment cited includes a 13.2-inch basic screen and a 10.3-inch digital instrument display, alongside wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Reports also list a 540-degree camera, with 19-inch wheels as standard. La Voz de Galicia reports a Spanish launch price of €33,990, a combined range of around 1,100 kilometres and homologated fuel consumption of 2.2 litres per 100 kilometres. These range and consumption figures are reported specifications. Electric-only distance is measured under the stated test cycle.
Information from La Voz de Galicia, the cabin technology includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 processor and HMI 5.0 software. The publication also reports 16 possible interior configurations. Carwow España has placed the L8 alongside the BYD Seal U DM-i in the plug-in-hybrid SUV field, describing the LEPAS design language as “Leopard Aesthetics.” The positioning pairs extended electric-driving capability with a petrol-electric powertrain, housed in a premium-oriented cabin.
With the first batch now in Barcelona, Spanish dealerships are preparing for initial customer deliveries. The arrival brings the L8 into a market where LEPAS is seeking to establish itself alongside Chery-related brands already operating in Europe. It also gives the company a first European product around which to build a wider rollout. The L8’s reported Spanish price, electric range and luggage capacity define its initial offer to buyers.
The route from Wuhu to Barcelona shows how intermodal transport moves vehicles between manufacturing centres and overseas markets. China has become one of the world’s leading vehicle-exporting countries. The L8’s arrival adds another Chinese marque to Spain’s increasingly competitive electrified-car market, where plug-in hybrids sit between conventional combustion models and fully electric vehicles.
