542 hp and a base price of just US$ 26,770 would make the C01 from Chinese EV brand Leapmotor one of the most desirable performance vehicles here in the United States. It might even take a bite out of traditional brands but alas, we’ll never know. The C01 isn’t coming to America but it’s still a very noteworthy sedan.
Leapmotor says that the sedan can rocket
from 0-100 km/h in just three seconds. That would put it on par with
cars that cost at least twice that much if not considerably more here in the
United States. That’s to say nothing of the wild dealer markups that are
happening right now either.
Powering the C01 will be a 90 kWh battery
pack with a maximum range of 717 km. According to Leapmotor, five
different trim levels will be available at launch. The base version will still
have an impressive 500 km range. From what it sounds like, the brand
plans to simply limit range through software because they haven’t mentioned
plans to use anything other than the 90 kWh battery pack. Of course, that could
change at any time.
The inside of the C01 looks pretty
enticing too thanks to a trio of large infotainment displays on the dashboard.
While not nearly as sleek as Mercedes-Benz’s stunning Hyperscreen, the C01
gives off those vibes.
Even though the brand might have had
struggles in the past, they’ve reported nearly 10,000 total deliveries and only
seem to be speeding up. The C01 doesn’t have a specific production date but the
company is accepting reservations as of May 10 and aims to begin production
before the end of the year.
