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Three pillars

Because to be perfectly honest, we don’t think the brand’s three pillars are very unique.
The brand aims to offer smart mobility solutions at the best price.
The brand aims to offer state-of-the-art technology.
And offer excellent service to customers even after the purchase of a car.
Well, that should basically apply to every car brand.

Still, Leapmotor does one thing right with the T03.
With this T03, the brand offers a full-option EV for less than 20,000 euros.
If you buy it as an individual in 2024 and take advantage of the SEPP subsidy, you will pay only 17,000 euros.
What do you get for those euros?

About Leapmotor

First, please answer the following question: what is Leapmotor?
Leapmotor was founded in 2015 by Jiangming Zhu, a businessman with nearly 30 years of experience in the hi-tech and automotive sectors.
Leapmotor has achieved several important milestones in recent years: the construction of the Jinhua plant in 2017, the launch of the S01 in 2019, T03 in 2020, C11 in 2021 and C01 in 2022.
From 2019 to now, more than 400,000 electric vehicles have been sold in China.

Collaboration with Stellantis

In October 2023, Stellantis acquired an estimated 21% stake in Leapmotor after an investment of about 1.5 billion euros.
The deal also included the establishment of Leapmotor International: a 51/49 joint venture managed by Stellantis with exclusive rights for export and sales, as well as the manufacturer of Leapmotor products outside “Greater China.”
Leapmotor International uses Stellantis’ distribution channels.
The goal is to have as many as 350 outlets in Europe by the end of 2024.
By 2026, there should be 500.
Last but not least, one new model per year will follow in the next three years.
The Leapmotor T03 and C10 kick off!

What is the Leapmotor T03?

Well, what is the T03?
The Leapmotor T03 has been sold in China since 2020.
Since its market launch, it has already sold about 130,000 units in China. The T03 has a length of 3,620 mm, a width of 1,577 mm and a height of 1,652 mm. The wheelbase is 2,400 mm. The car weighs 1,175 kilograms, still useful to know since EVs also require you to pay road tax.
The car seats four adults.
The interior looks quite modern, with the infotainment system with Snapdragon chipset standing out in particular.
This system responds even faster to touches than some cars in the C- or D-segment.
The T03 always has a 42-inch sunroof with a power sunshade.

There are points of concern, too!
Come they: the seats have short seats and offer little lateral support, the steering wheel is adjustable only in height.
And you’ve probably already noticed: the displays have huge reflections, you can brush your teeth in them.
Also, the A-pillars are very thick.
You further have USB-A charging points instead of USB-C, and as a driver you have no control over the regenerative braking system.
There is simply one mode.
The luggage compartment has a maximum capacity of 880 liters if you fold down the rear seatback.
This can only be done in one part.
When folding back the backrest, keep the seat belts in mind.
They can get stuck.

Range Leapmotor T03

Thanks to a 37.3 kWh battery, the T03 has a range of up to 265 kilometers (WLTP).
In the urban WLTP cycle, it is even up to 395 kilometers.   Compatible with Type 2 and CCS2 charging systems, the T03 includes a built-in 6.6 kW charger and a maximum DC charging capacity of 48 kW.
Home charging time from 30% to 80% is about 3.5 hours, while using a DC charging station (maximum 45 kW) for the same time takes only 36 minutes.
With an 11 kW charging station, 1 hour and 40 minutes of charging provides 100 kilometers of driving range.

Performance and driving modes

The Leapmotor T03’s electric motor produces an output of 70 kW (95 hp) with a system torque of 158 Nm.
The sprint from 0 to 100 km/h takes 12.7 seconds.
There is a choice of Eco, Standard and Sports driving modes.
In Sports mode, the throttle responds a bit more aggressively to input.
In Eco, it is more conversational.
The steering also includes three different modes, namely Comfort, Sports and Standard.
Comfort increases steering assistance by making it lighter.
In Sports mode, there is more heaviness in the steering.
The vehicle features MacPherson front suspension and a roller and torsion bar in the rear.
The suspension is particularly pleasant.
Even on poor surfaces, comfort prevails and creaks and squeaks stay out.
Also notable: the car has rear disc brakes.
This is occasionally different even in more expensive EVs (read: drums).

Always full-option

Leapmotor always delivers the T03 full-options, with things like DRL LED lighting with “Follow Me Home” function, an electronic handbrake, automatic air conditioning, a synthetic leather-clad steering wheel, front and rear power windows, Bluetooth connectivity, rear parking sensors and a rearview camera.
Even voice control (Voice Interaction System) is standard.
Inside, the T03 has an 8-inch instrument panel and a 10.25-inch central touchscreen with navigation, Wi-Fi, 4G connectivity and Over-the-Air (OTA) technology.

Driver assistance systems

The T03 has LEAP Pilot with six airbags, three cameras, five radars and ten advanced LEAP Pilot safety and assistance systems. The interference of driver assistance systems is great.
Fortunately, a lot can also be taken out.
However, that has to be done every trip.
ADAS offerings include the following systems:

• Lane Departure Warning (LDW).
• Lane Keeping Assistance (LKA).
• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
• Forward Collision Warning (FCW).
• Automatic Emergency Brake (AEB)
• Blind Spot Detection (BSD).
• Door Opening Warning (DOW).
• Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA).
• Driver Drowsiness Warning (DDW).

Warranty Leapmotor

You get 3 years to 100,000 kilometers warranty on the vehicle.
Leapmotor guarantees a minimum battery capacity of 80 percent for the first 8 years or 160,000 kilometers.
Additional vehicle warranties Leapmotor considers unnecessary.
The brand believes that a good service network wins trust rather than long warranties.
Thanks to Stellantis’ network, buyers can go to very many locations for maintenance or any problems.
This is different with other Chinese car brands in the Netherlands.
Leapmotor has a large service network right away.

Market launch Leapmotor T03

The T03 will arrive at dealers in late September for an all-inclusive price of 19,950 euros, including roadworthiness costs.
The T03 is also eligible for 2,950 euros SEPP subsidy in 2024.
This brings the price down to 17,000 euros.
Private lease is available from 299 euros per month (72 months and 5,000 km per year), still without deduction of SEPP.
There is a choice of three colors: Light White, Starry Silver or Glacier Blue.
Glacier Blue is expected to be the most popular color.
Another color may be added during 2025.

Points of Attention Leapmotor T03

• Short seat chairs
• No lateral support seats
• Steering wheel adjustable in height only
• Huge reflection in displays
• Control everything via infotainment, no buttons
• Thick A-pillars
• Rear seat foldable in one part
• Seat belts stick when you fold back your rear seat
• No USB-C, only USB-A
• Lane departure warning cannot be turned off while driving (can be fixed with software update)
• No effect on regenerative braking system, there is one mode
• Sometimes you can hear air conditioning “bubbling” in the background, at least a sign that everything is working

Conclusion review Leapmotor T03

This is what you call a darn good, affordable electric car.
This is what the market is waiting for.
The T03 is surprisingly quiet and comfortable and offers unprecedented value for money.
Add to that the fine damping and remarkably powerful powertrain, and you simply have a budget EV you can’t ignore.
Chapeau to Leapmotor.
We look forward to seeing how this brand will continue to develop.