Leapmotor C10 EREV — Owner Comments

Last Updated on: 29th July 2025, 02:42 am

I recently reached out to the Australian Leapmotor community through Facebook and shared their positive experiences with the battery electric version of the C10 with CleanTechnica readers. One commentator shared the following thoughts on CleanTechnica: “Wait! Did no Australian or NZ try to drive the 4000km coast to coast through the outback while pulling a two-tonne fishing boat without having to stop to recharge? Apparently, those are the US criteria for an EV to be useful.” Some Aussies would agree with you on that.

Surprisingly, I also got responses from some motorists who had purchased the Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) version of the same car. I’m not sure what its towing capacity is, but it certainly packs significant battery + petrol range. Before the purists get huffy about EREVs, I would like to point out that the EREV version of the C10 has an all-electric range of 150 km (93 miles), and so can be driven with very little reliance on petrol. Ben Lim even shared his story of transitioning from a long-range Tesla to the Leapmotor C10 EREV.

“We mainly switched over because we were looking for a PHEV/EREV and a larger vehicle, SUV. Coming from a Tesla Model 3, we were aware of the limitations of a BEV. We would have to plan our vacations with the kids working charging sites, and when we would get there sometimes the charger would be taken up or not working, adding to unnecessary waiting or wasting of time. We had the Tesla Model 3 for the last 5 years….infrastructure is still a problem here in Australia, even here in Sydney.”

“The EREV alleviates these concerns. With the ability to fill up in a few minutes and with gas stations conveniently located, we don’t have to plan ahead or have range anxiety. The C10 EREV petrol engine is also a generator, so acceleration is smooth, with the EV battery driving the drive shaft of the vehicle, and is as pure of a EV as you can get for a hybrid vehicle. We also like the C10 because of the minimalistic design. We don’t miss all these extra buttons or switches, as they make the cabin feel noisy, and we like the calm approach of the C10 interior cabin. At $46K purchase and great financing at 1.9 percent, significantly cheaper than other PHEVs, it was an easy decision.”

“We charge with our Tesla mobile charger, 32amps single phase. I charge to 90% so I get 150 km range on electric; EV+ mode in the car on daily use, so no petrol. I charge usually every 3–4 days. We recently did a long-distance trip to Canberra. I didn’t even have to fill up with petrol. It makes sense not to use gas when we charge night rate with AGL, 7 cents/kWh.”

I asked Ben how to tell the difference between the EREV and the BEV, as I could see no badging. He said there isn’t any badging. But it does have an open grille at the front bumper for ventilation to cool the radiator.

Dave Ford has owned many prestige cars over the past 15 years — including a Lincoln LS V8, an Audi Q7, and a Mercedes-Benz ML350. He needed a car that could tow his caravan. He found that the Q7 and the Merc became too expensive on upkeep, and after selling his van, he wanted to downsize to an SUV. I will let him continue in his own words:

“We started looking for a new car around the AU$50k cash mark. As well as the C10 EREV, we looked at the Deepal SO7 and the upcoming EO7. Cherry Tiggo 8 and Jaeco J7, GWM Haval H6 and BYD Sealion 6 and 7 and Shark, a couple of Honda’s and the Haval Tank 300.”

That’s quite a thorough shopping list, Dave. It also illustrates the number of vehicles now available on the Australian market.

“The Chery/Jaecos got cut out early as not rated for towing, the Shark was too thirsty once the battery was used, the Sealion 6 was a great car but the rear trunk area wasn’t long enough for our daily needs and BYD wouldn’t deal on pricing. The H6 was OK for around town, but on the highway, it was too ‘floaty’ and the Tank was again too thirsty and short on rear luggage room. The Hondas were all too expensive. The EO7 was our pick but at a proposed wait of 4 months and a $70k+ sticker price ruled it out. We were looking for either AWD or RWD.

“The Leapmotor ticked all our boxes, with the only issues being the ADAS settings which we figured we could live with for a few months till the next OTA update. Nunawading (Victoria) Leapmotor also gave us a C10 Design with premium paint, wall charger and a tow package, when it’s available, for $50,008. We picked up the car on the 14th of May and have now done just over 8000 km.

“Apart from the well reported ADAS issues, the only others have been the maps background disappeared, it still showed the directions and the road you were travelling on but no surrounding roads etc. I had to reboot the system and download the maps again, no issues since. Yesterday the front and rear cameras didn’t come on so once more hit reset and all fine again. The main screen isn’t as easy to operate as say a phone screen often needing multiple taps to actuate a function.

“I’ve done a few trips of 500-600 kilometres and found the car a delight to drive and very comfortable. My biggest gripe when driving, after switching off the LKA, driver distraction, forward AEB, and speed assist functions is the HVAC system, it’s overcomplicated. It should be set up for fresh air/recirculated and the temperature selected decides on hot or cold air-conditioning. The font on the screens is also far too small and an adjustment should be provided.

“Charging hasn’t been an issue overall, initially we just slow charged via the provided 3 point cable which took all night. Since the installation of the charge station, it now takes about 4 hours from 10% to 90%. I’ve used public chargers at few times but at 60c+ per kW, it’s no cheaper than running on fuel at less than $2 a litre. Like you, everyone asks who Leapmotor is, but every passenger has commented how nice the car is to ride in and its quietness and roominess.

“With Stellantis, I always follow that up with them being the owners of Jeep, RAM, Maserati, etc. I’m regularly in touch with Leapmotor, with suggested areas to look at for improvement, some ideas have been: fitting lights into the door handles, tailgate button and the charge port; better luggage area lighting and a power outlet back there also, either a key fob or at least an NFC spot on the passenger side mirror. Also, more aftermarket options such as a V2L adaptor, mudflats, luggage rack bars, waterproof floor mats.”

I enquired about range. Dave tells me he gets between 900 to just over 1000 km on tank plus battery. He even sent me a photo of his dash. “That’s the latest after a couple of trips, one included five of us plus luggage and the 2nd was two of us with goods weighing about 250kg in the back. Normally fuel sits between 4.7 and 6.2 litres per 100km or about 60 down to 45 miles per US gallon. Electricity runs from about 14 to 19 kW per 100km.”

So, what do we think, is the EREV (or if you like, PHEV with a big battery) a contender? Is it a viable bridge from fossil fuels to battery electric? Or is it in a niche of its own and will continue to be a valuable part of the rEVolution? So far, 190 Leapmotor C10 EREVs have sold in Australia. The PHEV/EREV segment of the Australian market has grown 300% in the last 12 months. Lots of possibilities. I look forward to your comments.