It’s eight months because the Leapmotor C10 was launched in Australia. Majella and I took one for a drive and have been impressed by the reasonably priced BEV. You may examine our expertise right here. Our article elicited feedback equivalent to: “You’re so fortunate in Australia to have such a widening selection of EVs. No tariff bull**it there, maaaate!” and “Rattling it, color me envious of all of the Goodies Oz is getting….” Hopefully this text will provoke some extra justifiable jealousy.
Since then, it has additionally come out as an extended-range electrical automobile (extra on that later). Since over 300 Leapmotor C10 BEVs have bought into the Australian market, I assumed it time to contact the homeowners and acquire tales of how the C10 was assembly their wants in the actual world. So significantly better than only a 30-minute take a look at drive.
Bear in mind, Leapmotor is a Chinese language model, with Stellantis as a serious shareholder. Stellantis is the fifth largest automaker on this planet and is made up of PSA (Peugeot) and FCA (Fiat Chrysler). Stellantis has 14 well-known manufacturers beneath its company umbrella.
I contacted C10 homeowners by way of the Fb web page and these are the tales they shared with me.
“Hello David Waterworth, right here’s our expertise to date: We’ve got travelled a complete of 1,400kms with general common of 17.3kWhs/100kms. We did a visit the opposite weekend, doing 180kms on the open street and consumed 49% of battery indicating 360kms vary at round 100kph. At 100% cost automobile was indicating 440kms vary based mostly off earlier driving habits (primarily city driving).
“Vary is okay for our use. We stay in the course of the North Island of NZ and anticipate vary to be ample to get us wherever we’d usually journey while not having to cease to cost. As such the 84kw max cost charge equally doesn’t trouble us both. A ten–15-minute top-up ought to get us to Wellington (we’d must cease for at the very least that lengthy anyway) and we’d comfortably get to Auckland with out stopping to cost.
“Our present electrical energy plan offers us 3 hours of free energy every night time which is greater than sufficient to cowl our present use (at 7kw). The Leapmotor App is nice, with a very good variety of options and performance, together with cellphone as a key for proximity locking/unlocking, state of cost/charging, location and preconditioning. We’d come from a Suzuki Vitara turbo. Love the house and luxury in addition to the worth for cash.
“We’ve discovered the C10’s efficiency good and revel in driving it. The local weather management works effectively and gives loads of cooling, we do recognize the seat air flow, we haven’t had chilly sufficient circumstances to correctly take a look at the heating but, however with heated seats and steering wheel don’t anticipate any situation. We hadn’t cross-shopped in opposition to one other mannequin particularly, however had take a look at pushed: Atto3, Omoda E5, bZ4x, EV6, Ioniq5 and had sat in, however didn’t drive the Torres EVX.
“The one points we’ve got are associated to the driving “aids” and have gotten into the behavior of disabling the lane-keeping/emergency-lane-keeping, clever pace help and driver monitoring earlier than driving. Curiously the automobile usually warns “driver has left the seat” whereas my spouse drives, presumably a calibration situation with the seat sensor (have heard different homeowners have additionally skilled this).”
Thanks for sharing! And one other C10 driver:
“Hello David. I’ve had mine for about 5 weeks and already achieved about 11000km. Completely love the automobile. Very spacious, snug and quiet. Solely situation is the adaptive cruise management could be very jerky. Additionally, the rear-view mirror is guide -not auto for prime beams behind at night time. Fairly stunned as that’s outdated expertise. Apart from that, I give it 10/10.”
One responder highlighted the aggressive pricing after cross-shopping in opposition to the BYD Atto 3 and the Tesla Mannequin Y. The Leapmotor C10 with 477 km (296 miles) of vary from a 70 kWh battery could possibly be had for AU$46,000. There are even higher offers now that we’ve got entered the subsequent monetary 12 months.
And the newest:
How did you come to purchase the Leapmotor?
“Initially, my dad and I have been ready for extra sub-$70k BEVs (i.e. ‘reasonably priced’) to reach in Australia. That occurred this 12 months and we spent a while collectively take a look at driving and discussing a couple of choices, in addition to contemplating a couple of fashions proven abroad which could make it to Australia in future. Was nice to do that collectively, we expect comparable but see totally different particulars. The extra enter the merrier for a big buy choice.
“For me personally, the subsequent automobile can be a BEV moderately than PHEV or ICE. We are likely to export 60% of models generated from our residence PV system, so channelling a few of that to energy transport is smart. Could-August is leaner on the technology so that’s factored into the general charging prices.
“I got here throughout the Leapmotor from an advert on-line round August 2024 and stored a eager eye on it since. I believe the advert popped up as I had garaged and pushed a 2020 Tesla Mannequin 3 for an in depth pal of mine for every week earlier that 12 months. You’d discover me net looking on-line each night for issues like utilizing the wipers, headlights, topping up wiper fluid and so forth, in addition to common information in regards to the automobile and EVs normally to be a bit extra assured driving a borrowed automobile.
“After plenty of studying, viewing and seeing some fashions in actual life, the C10 ticked the bins for me past the sturdy intestine feeling of this automobile being essentially the most ‘me’ among the many choices obtainable. Because it seems, there was a C10 BEV Design obtainable regionally, and all the pieces lined up effectively to get it at a very good worth.”
Did you cross-shop different vehicles? Which of them?
“Sure, the opposite fashions have been: BYD Sealion 7, Xpeng G6, and Geely Ex5. We took all these for a take a look at drive. Noticed the Zeekr X however solely sat in it on the showroom; amongst different issues it was too small to make the shortlist.
“For me, the C10 was extra spacious on the within and had sensible design inside and outside. Between the 2 screens, steering wheel controls and stalks, it does all the pieces I want as the driving force. A entrance passenger can simply help if the driving force looks like delegating. Relating to options, it permits for an proprietor to pare issues again or go all out on tech. I’ve discovered a contented combine that works for me and revel in each drive.”
Have you ever had any points? Resolved?
“Going from my earlier automobile to this one had a leap in tech, so it was every week of getting used to how this one operates vs what I used to be used to for a few years.
“It was defined earlier than I took supply that it might take a couple of days for the VIN to be transferred in order that I might use the app, which I now see is kind of customary amongst vehicles with apps. I bought a name when it was able to go, and I connected the app simply. Ended up contacting the vendor a couple of automobile operation password for the app and automobile as this didn’t seem within the arrange course of, however I used to be prompted to enter one. Seems it was a case of coming into a default code adopted by establishing your personal automobile operation password; this was straightforward sufficient to get sorted.
“I haven’t had any points with the automobile. There are packaged options I hadn’t utilized in my earlier automobile (largely because the tech was not current) and I don’t use them within the C10 both. It drives effectively, the cameras are nice, the map works, it performs music, it feels secure and cozy.
“I’m ready for the subsequent OTA replace, whereas some might say for MANY fashions available on the market right this moment “how can a automobile be bought with all of the claimed assists and it being not polished and dependable?” I’m extra reasonable that it takes time for software program to study, and enhancements occur alongside the way in which. I wouldn’t blame the producers for this, it’s a regulatory company permitting the claims, gross sales, and fixes. An ideal world would have trendy automobile security system sensors and software program shared as freely because the three-point seatbelt.”
Have you ever been on any lengthy journeys? Feedback about charging?
“We’re metro dwellers with a mixture of brief suburban journeys, longer journeys to appointments in addition to longer journeys for sports activities and leisure actions. There’s the odd journey to go to pals simply out of city. To this point all are inside 200km of a day’s driving and that’s effectively inside the vary of the C10.
“For a automobile’s claimed vary and vary anxiousness, re-frame it as a brand new routine moderately than a direct comparability to a gasoline tank pushed from full to empty cycle. Beforehand I’d replenish on the cheaper finish of the worth cycle (a long-standing Western Australia factor) and if additional driving would imply filling up on an costly day, then I’d get aggravated on the additional price. Translating kms pushed to recharging isn’t onerous, it’s simply totally different to fuelling up.”
“Trickle charging at residence works effectively for us, and if the PV panels don’t cowl it, the models imported from the grid are nonetheless cheaper than gasoline.”
Any reactions from colleagues/household?
“Inside house and a snug trip are an enormous hit with the household! It’s huge with out being big or unmanageable on the skin.
“I used to be the designated driver for a woman’s night time out and all 4 passengers beloved the house, lights, look, the trip… and the worth.
“Rather a lot hadn’t heard of Leapmotor earlier than, which is truthful, it’s a brand new badge right here. So glad it popped up on my radar, it’s a unbelievable automobile for us and got here in on the proper worth!”
There you’re — three real-life tales from glad prospects. Right here’s to extra Leapmotor C10s on Australian roads as individuals uncover the options and the worth. As soon as once more, the longer term is brilliant and electrical.
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