When EVs first launched locally, range anxiety quickly became a very real concern. Driving an EV doesn’t involve simply pulling up to a filling station, topping up, and heading off. Instead, you had to set aside a couple of hours to find a charger, which might already be in use, and then wait for the car to charge. And, if the battery happens to be critically low, well, there’s nothing else to do but wait for it…
This is where PHEVs have stepped up, offering drivers many EV benefits while still having the ability to top up the tank in a pinch. Now, a new Chinese brand, called Leapmotor, has launched locally with its new C10 REEV.
The C10 REEV is quite a sleek-looking machine, with rounded lines and a German-inspired rear design. The brand proudly reinforced the REEV designation, which stands for Range-Extended Electric Vehicle, and no, it’s not a bigger battery. Instead, it has a petrol generator in the front that does not drive the wheels but rather charges the battery. In other words, it runs on electricity with petrol backup for longer distances. It’s an interesting idea, and one which gives you the benefits of the instant and responsive power of an EV without the range anxiety.
At its core, it has four driving states: EV+, EV, Fuel mode and Power Plus, and these modes allow you to control how the battery is being depleted and recharged. Fortunately, it isn’t a matter of running the battery flat before the generator kicks in, as it’s all rather intuitive. An electric motor delivers the 158kW and 320Nm to the rear wheels, which gives the C10 REEV a 0-100km/h time of 8.5 seconds. It’s lively, and the benefit of the EV’s instant torque allows you to jump off the line, but it loses some momentum at highway speeds. Once the battery is depleted, performance drops considerably to allow the generator to recharge the battery.
It’s an odd sensation when this petrol generator kicks in. Even when the battery is charged, the engine will sometimes turn on and give the battery a slight power boost. And once the battery runs low, the engine hikes in revs in a noisy attempt to regain some charge. It’s a similar experience to how a CVT maintains high and constant revs under acceleration. It’s definitely something to get used to.
As for the interior, it’s certainly aesthetically pleasing, but it is quite familiar and closely resembles what you can expect in other mid-size Chinese SUVs like the Haval H6. It employs a massive centre screen, a smaller driver’s screen and a minimalist design throughout the cabin. It works, though it may feel overly tech-focused for some.
Leapmotor is definitely onto something here. It’s got the familiar spec-heavy sheet that we expect from a premium Chinese car, but it’s the range-extending system that adds a unique approach to new energy solutions. Simply put, it’s a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle with a unique selling point that is ideal for economical city driving while also making provision for long-distance travel.
Priced at R759,900 for the Style and R799,900 for the Design, it’s not cheap, but it makes a strong argument that challenges the ‘traditional’ EV approach. The Leapmotor C10 could be a fantastic vehicle, but there are aspects such as the engine noise during recharge which still need some refinement. It may not be perfect, but it’s definitely one of the coolest-looking offerings in its segment.
