Nascent Chinese brand expands B10 line-up with range-extender plug-in hybrid
This is the Leapmotor B10 Hybrid EV, the nascent Chinese brand’s new C-segment SUV that uses an innovative range-extender powertrain to offer the feel of an EV, without actually being fully electric. Leapmotor already sells the B10 – and its C10 big brother – in pure electric form in the UK alongside its T03 electric city car. Backed by European car giant Stellantis, Leapmotor is now launching an assault on the family SUV market with its clever REx technology. It’s not dissimilar in set-up to the Mazda MX-30 R-EV and Nissan Qashqai e-Power, whereby the wheels are driven by an electric motor, and the engine is used as an on-board generator to charge the battery. It’s a rare configuration in a burgeoning segment, but does the B10 Hybrid EV have the credentials to take on the current crop of established electrified family SUVs?
