Test drive report Leapmotor C10 Range-Extender—no Range Anxiety

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Leapmotor wants to alleviate our range anxiety. The electric midsize SUV C10 is now available with a range extender. This should allow for nearly 1,000 kilometers (approx. 621 miles) in one go.

It's quickly become clear to the many newcomers from the Middle Kingdom that rivers of milk and honey no longer flow through the streets of Germany. Apart from MG and BYD, Chinese models are still exotic here.

Even the new Stellantis subsidiary Leapmotor likely imagined the market launch of its two electric vehicles—the Mini T03 and the Midsize SUV C10—as being smoother. To the general skepticism towards cars from China is added a disposition towards electric vehicles that can hardly be described as enthusiastic. The young brand from Hangzhou (founded in 2015), in which Stellantis has acquired a 21 percent stake for 5.9 billion euros (approx. 68 billion USD), now addresses this with its own interpretation of the plug-in hybrid.

Gamechanger Against Range Anxiety

As a kind of non-prescription remedy against the widespread range anxiety, the C10 comes with a range extender variant alongside the pure electric model C10 BEV. Leapmotor describes this model, which was developed before the Stellantis deal, as a game changer. No wonder, in China, where charging in mega-cities is increasingly becoming a logistical problem, plug-ins have been booming for several years. In 2023 alone, sales increased by 166 percent. Over 1.2 million PHEVs were sold in 2024.

The so-called REEV technology from Leapmotor, or Range Extended EV, works a bit differently than conventional plug-ins. A 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with 65 kW/88 PS exclusively charges the battery. Compared to the full electric version, this battery has a capacity of 28.4 kWh instead of 69.9 kWh and is supposed to last 145 kilometers (approx. 90 miles) without additional external charging. In everyday use, this means: The C10 REEV always drives electrically, with the electric motor powering the rear wheels.

The drivetrain is largely identical to its all-electric sibling. Depending on the driving program and battery charge, the front-mounted internal combustion engine of Chinese origin kicks in. However, it only serves to recharge the battery with fresh electricity, not to drive the wheels. The driving experience and associated comfort largely correspond to that of an electric car. This is what fundamentally differentiates the serial REEV from a conventional plug-in hybrid. We know a similar technology from the Nissan Qashqai e-Power, for example.

Two Drives, Hardly any Differences

The C10 REEV offers four energy programs. EV+: the combustion engine only switches on when the battery capacity falls below nine percent. EV: same scenario, but activation below 25 percent. Fuel: engine support when battery power falls below 80 percent. Power+: the combustion engine always runs and can charge the battery up to 100 percent while driving.

The battery can, of course, also be charged with a cable. Using AC current at a household socket, charging from 30 to 80 percent takes almost a work shift: 7:30 hours. At the 11/22 kW wall box, it takes 3:50 hours, and with DC current at a fast-charging station, the process is completed in 18 minutes.

970 Kilometers Range

The duo of the combustion engine and battery is said to allow a maximum range of up to 970 kilometers (approx. 603 miles) without a stop, with CO₂ emissions in the WLTP cycle at only ten grams per kilometer, which in turn pleases Stellantis' fleet consumption.

On paper, the C10 BEV (160 kW) and C10 REEV (158 kW) are nearly equally powerful. Since the gasoline engine does not directly contribute, its output is not counted. The design, with a rear cheekily copying the Porsche Cayenne, the dimensions, and the spaciousness are the same for both models. Only the trunk shrinks slightly in the REEV C10 by 35 liters, as the 50-liter tank eats up some storage space. However, the dual drivetrain is about 30 kilos lighter—yet still almost two tons heavy.

Everything Runs Through the Touch Display

From its electric sibling, the REEV also inherits the overly ambitious control system, which often leaves the average, mature German driver perplexed. Almost all functions—even something as simple as adjusting the exterior mirrors—are only accessible via the central touch display and are sometimes hidden in complicated submenus. What the average, noticeably younger Chinese car buyer understands intuitively can become unnecessarily hard learning work for some descendants of the Golf generation. What also bothers: the constant beeping, chiming, ringing, tugging at the steering wheel, and patronizing by the assistance systems.

With this, the Chinese undermine what they technically have a good handle on. The chassis and steering, while not reaching the refined level of a BMW or Audi, do not disappoint. The mixed dual drivetrain really performs well. The gasoline engine operates most of the time like a stationary power plant in the optimal rev range somewhere in the background, becoming acoustically noticeable only during sudden acceleration. Since the combustion engine stays out of all direct driving matters, it is otherwise neither heard nor felt. At the end of our first test round of about 200 kilometers (approx. 124 miles), the onboard computer shows a fuel consumption of 6.5 liters per 100 kilometers (approx. 62 miles). The energy consumption is at a fairly low 15 kWh, and the remaining range is an impressive 750 kilometers (approx. 466 miles).

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Everything on board for 36,900 euros

At the checkout, Leapmotor does not favor either of its children. Both cost exactly the same, at 36,900 euros (approx. 42.423 USD), or rather, equally little. After all, the 4.74-meter-long (approx. 15.6-ft-long) C10 is a car the size of a BMW X3. Additionally, the provisioning is more than generous. Much of what costs extra elsewhere is already included with the C10. From the sound system with twelve speakers and 840 watts to the razor-sharp 14.6-inch display, the 360-degree camera, the 18-inch alloy wheels, the heated and cooled electric seats, the large panoramic roof, to the electric tailgate and 17 assistants.

Five stars in the current Euro-NCAP crash test further underscore the ambitions of a newcomer that has a decisive advantage in its favor: it can rely on the extensive global distribution network of Stellantis and its 14 brands. In Germany, Leapmotor currently has 87 locations, which are expected to reach 120 by the end of the year, and there are already 540 across Europe. "Our brand is available at the dealer around the corner," says Germany Managing Director Martin Resch. "That is a value that builds trust."

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