The range and charging time of electric cars have been the subject of serious controversy in recent years. Legitimate concerns as several manufacturers push to the fore range extension systemsas recently on the Mazda MX-30 R-EV, which prevent battery discharge with an electric vehicle.

While the Leapmotor C11 electric SUV is about to land in Europe, the Chinese manufacturer has just launched a range-extender version for the domestic market called Leapmotor C11 REEV (By “Electric car with an increased range of action”or in French an electric car with extended autonomy).

Leapmotor C11 REEV: heat engine under the hood

From an aesthetic point of view, it is very difficult for a novice to distinguish the Leapmotor C11 REEV from its 100% electric counterpart: the main difference is the front, which is integrated between the two headlights. open grillwhich allows fresh air to be supplied to the heat engine.

On the other hand, the rear exhaust is not visible, which makes the model quite discreet. The same applies to the interior, where we find the strengths and technologies of the model, in particular its huge “Smart Cockpit” dashboard equipped with three large screens (10.25, 12.8 and 10.25 inches) and its functions , supplemented with the help of artificial intelligence.

AND 3-cylinder gasoline engine Under the hood, a 1.2-liter turbocharged engine supplied by Li Auto was added: it develops 131 horsepower, but is used only for recharging batteries with a power of 30 or 43.74 kWh (depending on the version), and do not drive the wheels.

Leapmotor C11 REEV: more than 1000 km of autonomy

We always find rear electric motor 272 horsepower and 360 Nm of torque associated with rear-wheel drive. Unlike the 100% electric version of the model, there is no option to choose all-wheel drive.

As for autonomy, the 100% electric drive promises, depending on the version, between 180 km and 285 km of autonomy (according to the Chinese CLTC cycle), but thanks to the contribution of the gasoline engine, autonomy can reach 1024 kmstill according to the CLTC cycle, more optimistic than our WLTP.

As for the price, in China you will have to calculate an entry ticket of RMB 149,800 for the Leapmotor C11 REEV, which is equivalent toabout 20,400 euros. For comparison, that’s 6,000 yuan (about 800 euros) less than the 100% electric version.

In 2023, the Leapmotor C01 sedan will also benefit from a REEV version equipped with this range-extending system. Both models may eventually be exported to Europe.