In Europe, Stellantis’ Chinese partner Leapmotor wants to gain market share primarily with affordable electric models – the T03 small car, one of the most affordable electric cars in Germany, is the best example of this. The C10 mid-range SUV is currently the manufacturer’s largest model in this country.
In its home country, however, Leapmotor has now added to the top of its product range. The flagship SUV D19 will lead the line-up, positioning itself in the luxury segment with a length of 5.20 metres and a width of around two metres. This is complemented by a generous wheelbase of over three metres.
1,000-volt architecture and 540 kW of power
This segment comes with completely different technical requirements, which Leapmotor aims to meet in the pure electric version with a 1,000-volt platform. The 115 kWh battery is said to enable a range of 720 kilometres according to the local CLTC standard.
The 1,000-volt system promises very fast charging, allowing enough power to recharge for 350 kilometres in 15 minutes. The battery, developed by CATL, features a hybrid design combining LFP and NMC materials in a single cell.
The all-wheel drive vehicle has a system output of 540 kW. According to the car manufacturer, this is enough for acceleration from zero to 100 km/h in under three seconds. If this is true, the full-size SUV would enter in supercar territory.
EREV variant with innovative CATL battery
Leapmotor’s SUV models are also offered with a range extender, including its largest model to date. The D19 EREV has a combustion engine under the bonnet that acts as a generator, plus two electric motors producing a combined output of 400 kW to all four wheels. This means that the sprint from zero to 100 takes around two seconds longer than with the pure electric version, likely due to both the lower power output and the higher weight from the combustion engine.
An 80.3 kWh battery is located in the underbody – the largest ever installed in an electric vehicle with a range extender. It surpasses the battery of the current Tesla Model Y and offers a pure electric range of 500 kilometres under Chinese standards. The D19 EREV relies on 800-volt technology, allowing charging from 30 to 80 per cent in around 15 minutes.
The battery in the D19 EREV is CATL’s new ‘Freevoy Super Hybrid’ battery, which, according to the industry giant, combines LFP and NMC chemistry in a single cell for the first time. There is another innovation in the interior of Leapmotor’s new flagship model.
Image: Leapmotor
Image: Leapmotor
Image: Leapmotor
The first car with an oxygen generator
The SUV is the first production car ever equipped with an oxygen generator that produces 8 litres of oxygen per minute. This may sound unusual from a European perspective, but in China, trips to high mountains such as the Himalayas are increasingly popular.
In terms of hardware, Leapmotor relies on dual Qualcomm Snapdragon 8797 chips, which offer 1,280 TOPS (Tera Operations Per Second) of computing power and are used for both the infotainment system and the assistance systems. Deliveries are scheduled to start in the first half of next year.
Leapmotor has not provided specific pricing, though an earlier target of 300,000 yuan (around €36,000) was cited. Whether the D19 will launch in Europe remains uncertain, as it does not fully align with the brand’s current positioning in the West.
cnevpost.com, carnewschina.com
This article was first published by Elias Holdenried for electrive’s German edition
