Electric vehicles heading for 'tipping point' within years as major car brands prepare for changes
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GB NEWS
A leading motoring boss has said that electric cars will hit a "tipping point" in the coming years as manufacturers continue to make EVs more attractive to consumers.
Chinese automaker Leapmotor is set to launch three electric vehicles in the UK market, with its C10 SUV featuring innovative range-extender technology scheduled to arrive in March at around £32,000.
The brand, now operating through a joint venture that is 51 per cent owned by Stellantis, will introduce the T03 city car, B10 crossover and C10 SUV to British buyers in the coming months.
The C10's range-extender variant will become only the second such model available in the UK market, joining the Mazda MX-30 R-EV.
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The Leapmotor C10 REEV will come equipped with a petrol range extender
STELLANTISLeapmotor International, the European arm of the company, sees the range-extender technology as crucial for increasing EV adoption across the continent, where charging infrastructure remains less developed than in China.
The C10 REEV combines electric propulsion with a petrol engine that acts solely as a generator, promising to eliminate range anxiety for potential buyers.
The powertrain delivers an impressive combined range of up to 590 miles while producing just 10g/km of CO2, according to Leapmotor's claims.
Unlike traditional plug-in hybrids, the petrol engine never directly powers the wheels, instead serving purely as a generator to charge the battery.
Leapmotor International CEO Tianshu Xin has confirmed that this engine will eventually be replaced with a Stellantis powerplant, though specific details haven't been revealed.
Speaking to Autocar, he forecasted a "tipping point" for European EV adoption within the next three years.
He added: "If you look at China as a mirroring, why has China's EV market share since August last year overtaken ICE cars? There are several reasons, of course: number one, it's got a well-developed charging infrastructure.
"Number two is customer acceptance of EVs. They are starting to appreciate EVs and the technologies. Number three – the most important one – is the price parity of NEVs [electrified vehicles] and ICE cars was reached in China last year."
Chinese brand BYD almost overtook Tesla's total sales of electric vehicles in 2024, falling just short behind the Elon Musk-led manufacturer.
There is optimism that Chinese brands will move forward with plans to increase output to Europe, helping to slash costs and helping more drivers switch to EVs.
Xin said: "It's not about demand. The market is up and down, but it's not about the demand, it's about the supply."
The range-extender technology is viewed as "a good interim solution" by Xin, particularly given Europe's early-stage charging infrastructure compared to China.
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Leapmotor hopes to expand its operations across Europe
STELLANTIS"Range anxiety, from a consumer perspective, is still a big challenge. But the range of the REEV technology will solve this issue," he explained.
Leapmotor is exploring options to manufacture its vehicles at Stellantis factories across Europe, expanding beyond its current production at the Tychy plant in Poland where the T03 is made.
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