When Leapmotor unveiled its latest model, the C10, at the IAA Mobility fair in Munich, it wasn't the car that was most eye-catching, but the technology under the shell. It can open the way for a new generation of electric cars.
Can new technology pave the way for small cars?
An electric SUV of 4,8 meters from a relatively unknown car brand does not attract attention in the news. Few will be able to identify a Leapmotor C10 on the street. I think the market for large SUVs must soon be saturated. I wish the car manufacturers could instead put the spotlight on beautiful and flattering electric cars.
Unfortunately, high-built cars with solid suspension, large wheels and brakes are necessary to transport today's "long range" batteries. But we should not reject the large box-shaped SUV that was unveiled at Leapmotor's stand in Munich this autumn. It can actually help the car manufacturers to give us a larger selection of stylish and far smaller box-shaped electric cars, and it can also open up new models with a long range in the important A and B segment.
About Leapmotor
Leapmotor is one of several start-up car manufacturers from China. They are a fairly small manufacturer with approximately 210 cars produced from 000 to the second half of 2019. Currently, the vast majority of cars go to the domestic market, but Leapmotor is in the process of establishing itself in Europe. In February this year, they started in France, and until next year the UK will be in charge. Today, the model range consists of only the small model T2023. It is an electric car in the A segment in the same size as France's second best-selling electric car, the Dacia Spring. The Chinese domestic market also sells an SUV model, called the C03, and the C11, which is a sedan.
3.0
This is the latest version of Leapmotor's battery architecture. They describe it in 4 levels - called "Four Clover". At the bottom is the computer architecture, then battery and electric motor, then a fully assembled "lower body", and finally the entire car. There are two things in particular in this architecture that I believe could influence the development of electric cars worldwide, namely Central E/E Control Architecture og Cell-to-Chassis batteries.
Central E/E Control Architecture
In any modern car there are small, computerized control boxes connected to each other in a wired computer network. The electronic boxes serve electrical functions such as switches and the like (E/E - Electro/Electric or data-weak current/high current). By connecting the data boxes to larger data boxes and letting these in turn communicate with a central computer, the number of cables and boxes can be reduced - which can provide more space, lower weight, less energy loss and better range.
"Cell-to-chassis" batteries
"Cell-to-chassis" means that all the battery cells are attached directly to the car's chassis without being encapsulated in battery boxes. Done correctly, it can stiffen the undercarriage and bodywork, provide better interior space, increase safety and provide faster charging. The solution means that only power-generating components are installed - without excess load. Tesla has described the solution as "Cell-to-body", which amounts to the same for passenger cars where the batteries are placed in load-bearing structures. One can also draw parallels to the aircraft industry where the fuel tanks are built into the wings.
Can reduce the lifespan of cars
There are objections to mounting the batteries as part of the chassis/undercarriage/bodywork. Replacing or repairing batteries can be more expensive. The solution can also cause challenges when recycling. The latter can be important, if one lowers the threshold for scrapping cars instead of repairing them. In return, "cell-to-chassis" opens up new opportunities for the production of cheaper and smaller electric cars - which offsets the fact that the average lifespan is reduced.
Also offered by other car manufacturers
The new platform, Leap 3.0, has not yet been put into production. One can ask whether the sale of the new C10 model alone can cover development costs, as a lot of software has to be developed up front. Zhu Jiangming, chairman and founder, has stated that Leapmotor will not just sell cars, but also supply technology to other car manufacturers. Volkswagen, which has a heavy presence in the Chinese car industry through the companies FAW-Volkswagen and SAIC Volkswagen, is said to be already in negotiations with Leapmotor to supply the Leap 3.0 for its new planned Jetta model for the Chinese market. In Europe, Volkswagen has created its own platforms, and has announced that it will use a modified version of the MEB platform for its new front-wheel drive ID.2. Perhaps the experiences with Leap 3.0 in the new Jetta can make Volkswagen choose the same platform for the ID.2 and a future ID.1?
It is no secret that Stellantis has also been in contact with Leapmotor, but it must be exclusively linked to EREV Leap 3.0-the platform that contains a range extender with a 1,2 liter internal combustion engine. Perhaps Stellantis has plans to use «e fuel» to a possible range extender?
Unlike the Volkswagen group, Stellantis has chosen to build electric cars according to the same pattern as cars with thermal engines. They have been able to deliver good electric cars in the B segment, which Volkswagen has not yet achieved - but Stellantis will probably need a more modern platform towards 2035.
Leapmotor T03
When I did "research" for the post about the low-cost cars, I started from what was available on the French market, where small cars are more popular than in Norway. The Leapmotor T03 is the third least expensive electric car in France, beaten by Dacia Spring and Renault Twingo. Leapmotor established its first dealers in France in February this year and aims to have approximately 100 dealers by the end of the year. In France, the cars cost €25, but with environmental refunds the net price can end up as low as €990. The Leapmotor T18 delivers 500hp and a range of 03 km WLTP. The model came out on the market in 109 and the platform is based on Leap 280. I'm guessing we'll see a sequel soon.
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