Chinese car company declares war on western brands with £16k electric hatchback
As a growing number of companies introduce tariffs on Chinese electric cars, a new model is launching in the UK that features plenty of tech for £15,995.
A new Chinese car company has announced it is launching in the UK, with their first model being one of the cheapest electric vehicles on the market.
Leapmotor is an electric car startup company that was formed in Hangzhou, China and has received investment from the global motoring giant Stellantis, who own a number of famous car brands including Peugeot, Fiat, and Vauxhall.
The company's first car to be sold in the UK, with the first deliveries taking place in December 2024, will be the T03, a tiny electric city car with a list price starting from £15,995.
This puts it in direct competition with the Dacia Spring, currently the cheapest new electric car in the UK at £14,995, and a low-cost alternative to other small EVs like the Citroen eC3 and Fiat 500e.
Made under licence in Poland, the Leapmotor T03 is the first Chinese-designed electric model to sell in the UK for less than £20,000. However, it could face some stiff competition from brands such as BYD in the near future.
A five-door hatchback, the Leapmotor T03 has mostly conventional yet cute styling, featuring a minimalist front end and SUV-like black plastic wheel arches.
All models sold in the UK from launch will feature a reasonable amount of standard equipment, which includes a panoramic sunroof with an electric cover and air conditioning.
The T03 will also come with a 10.1-inch touchscreen as standard, which features voice control, sat-nav and 4G connectivity.
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Powered by a 37.3kWh electric battery pack, the Leapmotor T03 is capable of covering up to 165 miles per charge, a figure the company claims is possible due to a cloud-based temperature control system.
Whilst it is only capable of charging at up to 48kW, significantly less than most other new electric cars, the small battery can be topped up from 30 to 80 percent in a little over half an hour.
The Leapmotor is also fitted with a 95bhp electric motor for the front wheels, giving it a very reasonable 0-62mph acceleration time of around 12 seconds.
Zhu Jiangming, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Leapmotor, highlighted that the model has been a hit with buyers in China since it was first introduced in 2020.
He explained: "As of the first half of July [2024], Leapmotor has accumulatively sold over 400,000 EVs in China since the company's first sale.
"China is the biggest and most competitive EV market in the world and our products have proved their value by being acclaimed by the local customers."
