Leapmotor electric cars: Everything you need to know!

• Leapmotor T03 city car and C10 SUV preparing for UK launch
• Both are EVs and set to arrive in November 2024
• China's Leapmotor backed by Euro heavyweights Stellantis
• Leapmotor T03 to cost from just £15,995 

There’s a new electric vehicle manufacturer on the block - and here’s everything you need to know about Leapmotor International.

The first thing to note is that Leapmotor means business. And we mean big business.

The company started life as a Chinese start-up in 2015, selling its first vehicle - the ‘S01’ two door coupe - in China back in 2019.

Leapmotor’s know-how when it comes to EV wizardry - including autonomous tech and artificial intelligence - soon won admirers.

And in May this year the Stellantis Group announced the establishment of ‘Leapmotor International’ - headquartered in the Netherlands and with Stellantis controlling the venture in a 51:49 split - to start putting Leapmotors on to European roads.

That Stellantis involvement is hugely significant. It puts Leapmotor into the same stable as other Stellantis-owned brands like Vauxhall, Citroen, Peugeot, Fiat, Jeep, Alfa Romeo and Maserati.

With backing like that, Leapmotor could end up moving (ahem) leaps and bounds beyond competitors.

In fact, Leapmotor International has already said it’ll soon offer 50 UK sales points for its cars, backed by Stellantis’ extensive retailer network.

Affordable electric leasing

Affordability is one of the key pillars of the Leapmotor philosophy.

It’s about putting EVs ‘within everyone’s reach’ and ‘making the latest in electric mobility a real option for a greater number of people’, the manufacturer says.

Step forward, then, the Leapmotor T03.

It’ll be one of the first Leapmotor vehicles offered in the UK - with order books opening in November this year and deliveries arriving before the end of 2024.

The T03 will cost just £15,995 to purchase outright - which makes it the ‘UK’s best value electric car’, according to Leapmotor, and which runs the £14,995 Dacia Spring exceedingly close when it comes to cost.

Leapmotor T03

The Leapmotor T03 is a fully-electric, four-seat city car that’ll compete with the likes of the aforementioned Dacia Spring as well as the Citroen e-C3 and BYD Dolphin in the leasing market.

When it becomes available to lease in the coming weeks, it’ll feature a 37.3 kWh battery that offers a range of up to 165 miles between charges as well as modest power of 95 hp.

Leapmotor has got younger drivers in mind with the T03 - drivers who want a bit of comfort to go with their eco-conscious motoring.

As such, the T03 is available in just one trim but which comes with a ton of kit fitted as standard.

You get 15-inch alloys, heated mirrors, a panoramic sunroof, a 10.1-inch central touchscreen, sat nav, voice control, rear camera, keyless start, auto air con, and parking sensors.

What’s more, the T03 is positively brimming in driver assistance and safety tech. You can expect adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, automatic emergency braking, driver drowsiness warning, and blind spot detection.

While the T03 hasn’t yet been crash tested by industry safety assessors Euro NCAP, Leapmotor says it has been built ‘in accordance with the highest European safety standards’.

When it comes to fast charging, the T03 accepts 48 kW DC which can take the battery from 30%-8-% in 36 minutes.

A Leapmotor spokesperson tells us: “Created for a young and dynamic clientele who is looking for a versatile and smart vehicle, T03 is available in a single fully equipped version, simplifying the purchase experience.”

Leapmotor C10

While the Leapmotor T03 is very much targeted at the affordable end of the leasing market, the electric Leapmotor C10 SUV is a more premium product.

It’s priced from £36,500 to purchase outright, which puts it into the same bracket as rivals like the Renault Scenic E-Tech, Kia Niro EV and MG ZS EV while also undercutting the Tesla Model Y.

The exterior is clean, slightly boxy, with a dumbbell-shaped front grille and roof bars which ‘enhance the vehicle’s adventurous spirit’, says Leapmotor.

Underpinning the C10 is a decently-sized 69.9 kWh battery pack that provides up to 261 miles of electric range. You also get max power of 218 hp and 320 Nm of torque, which ensures the C10 can accelerate from 0-62 mph in around 7.3 seconds.

Rapid DC charging will take the battery from 30% to 80% in 30 mins.

Like the T03 (see above), the C10 will also be offered initially at just one well-specced trim level.

You’ll enjoy 20-inch alloys, dual zone air con, automatic LED lights, an electric tailgate, panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera, wireless phone charging, heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, and a large 14.6-inch touchscreen.

There’s a whole heap of driver assistance and safety systems, including advanced emergency braking, lane keeping, blind spot detection, and adaptive cruise control.

The Leapmotor C10 should also prove practical, with a 435-litre boot being respectable in the class while there are 26 storage spaces dotted throughout the car to stow bags and bottles.

The C10 is also set to arrive in the UK in November - so watch this space for further updates.

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