A new electric hatch from China’s Leapmotor, its most affordable to date, has been approved for sale in Australia.
The BO3 electric hatch has been offered at prices equivalent to less than $A13,600 in its home market, and will come with two-motor and battery configurations.
According to the approval documentation, which was first shared by EV enthusiast Will K on Electric Cars for Australia Facebook group, the Leapmotor B03 will come in either a 39.8 kWh battery pack or a bigger 53 kWh battery.
Both are expected to be Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) packs, which in the Chinese market offer a CLTC range of 405-510 km and are expected to be 300-400 km on the WLTP cycle.
We also have more details on some dimensions and weights, with the updated Leapmotor coming in at almost 4.2 metres in length. The smaller battery pack variants have a tare weight of 1,400 kg, while the second larger pack bumps that up to 1,500 kg.
On the powertrain front, two front-mounted motors have been listed. The first comes with a maximum 130 kW output, while the second offers more power at 145 kW.
Both lack towing capability and have a running clearance of 140 mm, slightly higher than the BYD Dolphin hatchback.
Leapmotor, is one of China’s fastest-growing EV brands, and has focused mainly on affordable electric SUV models in the past but appears to be leaning more into hatchbacks recently.
Currently, Leapmotor sells, the C10, B10 and B05 models in Australia and plans to bring more offerings into our markets.
What’s unique is the timing of how quickly some new EV models are being approved after launching in China, making it the most dynamic car market we’ve seen to date. More details on the exact specs, availability and pricing are likely to be announced closer to the local launch.
