Leapmotor is a Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer with plenty of ambition. The fledgling brand says it’s in this for the long haul – we’re ‘thinking in decades’ Leapmotor international wing CEO Tianshu Xin so boldly affirmed.
But when Chinese EV startup mortality rates are so high, why so confident? Well, there’s plenty of innovation coming out of the far east, but Leapmotor also benefits from a rather large patron. Exchanged for a cool £1.26bn, 21% of the brand is now owned by Stellantis.
The deal was struck last year. Stellantis bought out a part of the company, and then together the two established a new international wing, duly named Leapmotor International. The remits of the partnership were divvied up: Leapmotor would handle development and production, bringing its know-how of innovative cell to chassis tech to the table, while Stellantis took care of the marketing and distribution.
Leapmotor gets to go global, Stellantis gets to wedge its foot in the Chinese EV industry while the rest of the world has kittens over getting left behind. Match made in heaven. And the result? A couple of incredibly well-priced EVs have now reached European shores. Leapmotor has asserted its intention to remain as an EV-only manufacturer. More cars are in development, we’re told, including two hatchbacks and four more SUVs, whether they also make it to the UK remains to be seen. For now, we have an electric city car and an electric SUV, known as the T03 and the C10 respectively.
A couple of truly rotten efforts on the naming front, but the cars themselves show a little more promise with generous standard tech for undercutting prices. See below for more information.
Leapmotor electric cars available in the UK right now
Leapmotor T03
View our full Leapmotor T03 review
The T03 is Leapmotor’s take on the electric city car. First launched back in 2020, it’s about the size of a Fiat 500e, though with slightly more headroom in the rear by virtue of its high and straight roof line. The car produces around 95hp from its electric motor, has a 37.3kWh battery and can cover a range of 165 miles in one charge, according to official figures. So no awe-inspiring performance statistics: 0 to 62mph in 12.7 seconds and a top speed of roughly 80mph. But the T03 is at least very cheap.
Starting from just under £16,000, it’s among the cheapest EVs you can buy in the UK, but still it’s very generously well equipped. The T03 features a panoramic sunroof, 10.1-inch touchscreen, electric windows all round and 10 ADAS functions, including adaptive cruise control. It might not be as refined nor as well built as other homegrown European offerings, but as far as value you goes, you’d be hard pressed to beat it.
Leapmotor T03 lease deals | VIEW OFFER
Leapmotor C10
View our full Leapmotor C10 review
The C10 is Leapmotor’s budget Renault Scenic killer. At 4739mm long, the C10 a big electric SUV, but it hugely benefits from its length inside. The cabin is finished in a slightly rubbery faux leather material, and with its ultra-minimalist dashboard the C10 evokes Tesla Model Y interior design philosophies, but rear legroom is second-to-none. The C10 has one of the most generous provisions of legroom in the back of any electric SUV I’ve ever driven. Six-foot-plus adult won’t just be able to fit, but relax, fully stretched out with room to spare.
Does it pay the price in performance? Owing to a 218hp output from its electric motor -with 320Nm of torque – the C10 can reach 62mph from zero in 7.5 seconds. Nothing mind-bending, but it’s has a useable amount of power, and never left us wanting during our test drive. Range isn’t so bad either – 260 miles (according to WLTP figures) from its 69.9kWh battery.
Like the T03, the C10 is very generously equipped. It has an enormous panoramic sunroof that stretches the length of the car, plenty of driver assistance functions including adaptive cruise control and a 360deg camera, and an enormous 14.6-inch infotainment display – all in one trim £36,500 trim level. A wealth of stuff for not a whole lot of money.
A range extender version of the C10 is also on the way, so stay tuned for a fresh variant arriving soon.
