Inside the £31k Leapmotor B10 REEV that’s answer for families not ready for full EV with whopping range & relaxing ride

WE’VE seen this automobile earlier than. We’ve pushed it. We’ve even given one away as a Sun Club prize.

But that was the pure electrical Leapmotor B10.

This one is an REEV – range-extender electric vehicle.

Here’s the way it works.

An electrical motor drives the rear wheels.

But there’s a 1.5-litre petrol engine below the bonnet that acts as on-board generator, quietly topping up the 18.8kWh battery when cost runs low.

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For the financially-savvy household which needs to go electrical however nonetheless has reservations, this may very well be the answer.

The battery alone delivers 50 miles of pure electrical motoring.

Brim the 50-litre gasoline tank and the mixed range stretches to a whopping 559 miles.

That’s simply the faculty run and the procuring, for a fortnight or extra, with out both plugging in or fuelling up.

Four vitality modes allow you to prioritise pure electrical on the town, save the battery for later or lean on the generator for lengthy motorway stints.

In actuality although, you barely want to consider it. The automobile manages the entire present intelligently in the background.

On the street it’s a relaxing drive, not an enthusiastic one, and it all the time looks like an EV.

Whisper-quiet, softy-dampened, with three driving modes and 4 regenerative braking ranges to select from – one thing a pricier Tesla doesn’t even supply.

Inside, the 14in touchscreen is sharp and snappy to make use of and wired as much as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as normal.

Panoramic sunroof, heated and vented entrance seats, heated steering wheel, electrical tailgate, 360-degree digicam, 12-speaker sound system, wi-fi charging and 64-colour ambient lighting.

All in. All as normal.

There’s only one trim degree. Pick your color. Done. Boot house isn’t huge at 330 litres however that rises to 1,600 with the seats folded.

How a lot is it? Exactly the identical worth as the pure electrical B10 at £31,495.

One worth. On the street. Heat pump included.

And it even seems all proper too.

Bundle in the truth Leapmotor is part-owned by the large Stellantis group – so guarantee, servicing and elements aren’t a leap of religion – and you may add peace of thoughts to that lengthy all-in spec checklist.

The Chinese are getting higher at this recreation. Fast.