Have you ever heard of Leapmotor? Me neither. I do know that a C10 was a square Chevy truck, or a budget GWM hatchback, and now describes this brand-new range-extended electric vehicle…
You should know: That’s what the acronym REEV stands for – Range Extended Electric Vehicle. In essence it means that this electric vehicle has a petrol engine to use as a back-up generator when it’s running out of charge or puff.
Other than its capacity of 1.5L divided over four cylinders, I couldn’t find more info on it.
More info: The next thing you certainly want to know is the price between R775,000 and R820,000 (for this top-tier “Design” specification) and the fact that it houses a 28.4kWh battery to drive a single rear-mounted electric motor with 158kW or 320Nm.
0-100km/h should take about 8 seconds and the top speed is around 170km/h.
What else: All-electric range is quoted at 145km and the petrol-electric combo can deliver up to 950km. These are, of course, best-case scenarios but even if the real-world figures are closer to 100km electric and 700km combined, that still make the Leapmotor C10 a decent weekday commuter or feasible long-distance holiday companion.
Why you shouldn’t: Despite a detailed hand-over by the press fleet, I constantly struggled with this car’s infuriating un/lock driver procedures (which include an exterior mirror), nor am I fond of self-starting and self-locking cars because there’s a real chance that you’ll get locked out. Or get soaked in the rain while trying to lock it at the local shopping mall.
Why you should: Umm, it’s hip, it’s cool, it’s fairly efficient, the window switches are upside down, and it’s got a humungous glass roof to watch the clouds in a traffic jam. And although it conforms to the current cookie-cutter crossover design philosophy – complete with rear light bar – it does show some unique yet bizarre proportions.
Modern. And clean, I guess.
Conclusion: The Leapmotor C10 Design REEV is a feast of new technology, some of which will take a lot of getting used to, wrapped in an agreeable shape with decent comfort and good space. It also represents a great stepping stone for folks wanting to switch to EV… but would like the safety net of an on-board range extender.
FULL SPEC LIST
| Engine: | Electric motor with 1.5L petrol generator |
| Transmission: | Electric, RWD |
| Max. Power: | 158kW |
| Max. Torque: | 320Nm |
| Avg. cons.: | No claim |
| 0-100km/h: | 8 seconds (claimed) |
| Top Speed: | 170km/h (claimed) |
| List Price: | R814,900 |