China’s Leapmotor has launched the new B01 electric sedan, a cut-price alternative to the best-selling Tesla Model 3.
Unveiled at the Shanghai motor show last week, the B01 will go on sale in China later this year with a starting price of around ¥150,000 (A$32,230) according to CarNewsChina, undercutting the Model 3 by 36 per cent.
Dimensionally, the B01 measures in at 4770mm long, 1880mm wide and 1490mm tall, on a 2735mm wheelbase. That makes it longer and taller than a Model 3, yet slightly narrower.
The B01 is also comparable to the BYD Seal, which occupies a similar position in the market. Both the Seal and Model 3 are the only sub-$60k electric sedans currently available in Australia.
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The exterior of the B01 shares design elements with other models in the Leapmotor range, including a rounded front-end and full-width rear light bar.
Under the skin, it remains unclear what will power the B01, although Leapmotor says an ultra-low drag coefficient of 0.197Cd gives this sleek EV a driving range of up to 650km.
More is known about the cabin of the B01, which features a 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster, 256-colour ambient lighting system, an optional panoramic roof, and 88 per cent soft-touch material coverage throughout.
Boot space measures 460 litres, which is more than the Seal’s but less than the Model 3’s, although Leapmotor says the B01 has an extra 70L of capacity underneath the boot floor.
The B01 is expected to offer the same set of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) as seen in other Leapmotor models, sourcing data from Lidar sensors instead of cameras.
While parent company Stellantis has no plans to bring the B01 to Australia at this time, the new model has not been ruled out for a local launch.
Leapmotor arrived Down Under last year with the C10 mid-size electric SUV, which so far remains its only model available in Australia.
More all-new offerings are set to arrive shortly and the new Chinese auto brand is not limiting what it’ll offer here in the future.
“We plan to cover 65 per cent of the Australian segments in the next three years,” Leapmotor Australia chief Andy Hoang told CarExpert in November last year.
“[We plan to] have up to six models in the next three years.”
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