Leapmotor started the deliveries of its electric sports car the S01 roughly a year ago, but recently this Chinese startup launched a more affordable electric car, the T03 that could be perfect for the European car market.
With a NEDC range of 403 km (250 miles) – that translates to a WLTP range around 300 km (186 miles) – this electric car is eligible for the full Chinese government subsidy of 22.500 yuan (2.742 euros).
Prices after subsidies
Prices before subsidies
If you’re trying to guess how much this electric car could cost in Europe, notice that in China electric cars continue to be exempt from a 10 percent sales tax through the end of 2022.
With a standard VAT of 20 % (average in Europe) and without any government subsidies the price of the Deluxe Edition could increase from 11.978 to 14.374 euros.
Leapmotor T03 interior
Basic specs
Powertrain
For the European market the maximum speed would have to increase to 120-130 km/h.
Leapmotor T03 powertrain
The image above demonstrates the beautiful simplicity of electric cars and why they can be cheaper to produce than ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) cars. A production line that assembles electric cars is much simpler, faster and efficient.
Anyway, what makes the Leapmotor T03 a much better alternative to similar Chinese electric cars such as the BYD e1, ORA R1 and ORA R2 is the impressive and vast safety equipment available in the Deluxe Edition.
It also receives OTA (Over-the-Air) software updates. The last one was two weeks ago.
Safety equipment of Deluxe Edition
The high-tech Deluxe Edition seems perfect for the European electric car market, it has many safety features that are rare in small cars, the only things missing are a cobalt-free battery and an annual production of one million units…
It would also be nice that the electric motor instead of being attached to the front wheels, was on the rear for better turning circle, just like the Renault Twingo ZE. This is especially important in city cars.
