Leapmotor T03... am I the only one?
Discussion
ScoobyChris said:
Chris_i8 said:
Odd, I've not come across this negative on my ev research so far.
Is the A/C not working?
This is also a trait of the Leaf which either Heats (no a/c) or Cools (a/c) the cabin to adjust the temperature and there is no way to leave it on auto with a/c on all year round. My assumption was this was an EV battery saving trait - I even posted on here about it - but thankfully it seems to be in the minority.Is the A/C not working?
I bought a damp absorbing bag of beads which seems to work well but a tad annoying in a modern car!!
SirGriffin said:
Woo, another one! I was getting lonely! 
I suspect that the numbers of these little cars around will grow once they gain more of a foothold here in the UK. I have to be honest that I only discovered them by chance last year after starting to do a bit of research on what "cheap" EV's were in the market.Was rather pleased that the tech seems to have had quite an upgrade on the one I test drove and the various DAS feel a lot less irritating (plus you can simply switch them off now).
Overall, much like yourself, I just can't fault it as a little car. Does exactly what you would expect of it and (as far as I can tell) seems to be as well, if not better, equipped than many more mainstream EV's starting at twice the price. It's never going to be the most enthralling drive, I have other cars for that, but for general local running around and the odd trip to the office it makes perfect sense. Coupled with a home charger and cheap overnight electricity rates (or solar power in the summer months) it costs pennies to run too.
Do I believe that full EV is the way forward...no, not at all and definitely doesn't work for everyone...but it made sense to give it a "real world" try at this price point.
Glad your liking it! We've just taken on the Leap franchise up here in Scotland, pushing for the medium sized one for the new company motor.
For the T03, I'm sure there going out the door for something mental like £169 down, £169 a month.
Can absolutely see why you'd want to jump into one of these for low cost motoring.
For the T03, I'm sure there going out the door for something mental like £169 down, £169 a month.
Can absolutely see why you'd want to jump into one of these for low cost motoring. ScoobyChris said:
SirGriffin said:
Yes, thus is exactly it. Aircon on cold only. You get used to it, it doesn't spoil the car.
Tbh it does my head in, especially this time of year where you have to keep running the demisters!Chris
I've seen several tips about wiping shaving foam on the inside glass, then polishing it off, as a way of preventing misting up - I'm going to try it on a side window and see if it works! Update will follow...
Other than that, a great little car with big capabilities.
Edited by SirGriffin on Friday 23 January 14:59
SirGriffin said:
It's not too bad really, especially if you don't keep it stuck on "recirculation" all the time. My last car, an ICE model, was just as bad in the wet damp days. And I've seen loads of other EV's such as VW ID's etc just as bad. I've read that EVs can be prone to it due to the battery causing condensation to form in the cabin, must be heat related, or some scientific techy stuff!
I've seen several tips about wiping shaving foam on the inside glass, then polishing it off, as a way of preventing misting up - I'm going to try it on a side window and see if it works! Update will follow...
Other than that, a great little car with big capabilities.
Maybe try some of the stuff intended for motorcycle visors...I've seen several tips about wiping shaving foam on the inside glass, then polishing it off, as a way of preventing misting up - I'm going to try it on a side window and see if it works! Update will follow...
Other than that, a great little car with big capabilities.
Edited by SirGriffin on Friday 23 January 14:59
- The "nothings gone wrong" EV update Pistonheads has been waiting for**
Yup folks, the appliance continues to do it's thing quietly and dependably. Which, after all, was exactly the brief I had for it. And yes, I do enjoy driving it, the quiet smoothness is pleasant, and the perky performance in day to day driving is as quick as any other car in the urban environment.
Of course, not everything is rosy in the garden. The window misting in this damp weather is a bit annoying, and I'd like the seats to be a bit wider - because I'm a bit wider...Also, I'm not thrilled with the lack of physical switches.
But overall, it's been a great little car so far. Woooosh!
EV is still ok shocker update!!
Yes folks, the little car is still trundling along faultlessly.
And, in positive news, the steaming up issue in damp weather has been solved - this was down to incorrect settings of the climate controls, caused partly by omitted info in the manual. Correct use makes the car nicer to use in poor weather, so a free improvement!
The car has just done a weekend break, and handles the motorway just fine. It's not the car you'd chose if you are a regular motorway high mileage driver, but it's perfectly capable for the occasional trip.
At motorway speeds of between 60-65 it will do about 130- 140 miles on a charge, which is not much different to other much more expensive EV's - motorway driving is not very efficient for EV's. It equates to about 2 hours of driving, at which point I like to stop for a break anyway on a journey, so plugging the car into a fast charger whilst stretching my legs, using the bathroom and getting a coffee is just what I'd be doing anyway, so as such driving an EV on a longer journey is pretty much a non event, at least for me anyway.
The little car continues to delight with its quiet refinement, and cheap running costs. It also provides quite a bit of curiosity from others!
If there's any downside of driving an EV, it's having to have about half a dozen different apps because of the disjointed charging network. However, I've never had any particular problems finding chargers anywhere I've wanted to go.
Whooosh!
Yes folks, the little car is still trundling along faultlessly.
And, in positive news, the steaming up issue in damp weather has been solved - this was down to incorrect settings of the climate controls, caused partly by omitted info in the manual. Correct use makes the car nicer to use in poor weather, so a free improvement!
The car has just done a weekend break, and handles the motorway just fine. It's not the car you'd chose if you are a regular motorway high mileage driver, but it's perfectly capable for the occasional trip.
At motorway speeds of between 60-65 it will do about 130- 140 miles on a charge, which is not much different to other much more expensive EV's - motorway driving is not very efficient for EV's. It equates to about 2 hours of driving, at which point I like to stop for a break anyway on a journey, so plugging the car into a fast charger whilst stretching my legs, using the bathroom and getting a coffee is just what I'd be doing anyway, so as such driving an EV on a longer journey is pretty much a non event, at least for me anyway.
The little car continues to delight with its quiet refinement, and cheap running costs. It also provides quite a bit of curiosity from others!
If there's any downside of driving an EV, it's having to have about half a dozen different apps because of the disjointed charging network. However, I've never had any particular problems finding chargers anywhere I've wanted to go.
Whooosh!
SirGriffin said:
EV is still ok shocker update!!
Yes folks, the little car is still trundling along faultlessly.
And, in positive news, the steaming up issue in damp weather has been solved - this was down to incorrect settings of the climate controls, caused partly by omitted info in the manual. Correct use makes the car nicer to use in poor weather, so a free improvement!
Similar story here with little "Minty", apart from the long journey/motorway driving as that wasn't the plan anyway for the little Leapmotor (still stick with ICE and a bit more luxury for that purpose).Yes folks, the little car is still trundling along faultlessly.
And, in positive news, the steaming up issue in damp weather has been solved - this was down to incorrect settings of the climate controls, caused partly by omitted info in the manual. Correct use makes the car nicer to use in poor weather, so a free improvement!
Would be interested in knowing how you managed to solve the steaming up issue though !
With the arrival of this sunny weather the running costs for the little car are dropping even more as I'm making full use of the solar generation to reduce further my reliance on grid energy. With no need to rely on charging away from home too I've (so far) managed to avoid the headache over multiple apps.
Still not seen many more T03 around the area...they do seem to be few and far between at the moment.
The issue was that it appeared that the Aircon could not be used to demist the windows, only the heater, which isn't as good. However it turns out that it is indeed possible to use the heater along with the Aircon, which is better because Aircon helps to dry the interior and keep prevent the windows steaming up.
trevalvole said:
I like it. I think I'd have to investigate what the manufacturer's back-up was like, though.
Well, Stallantis (owner of lots of mediocre brands) bought into a joint venture to market all and also assemble some of Leapmotors products. So I'd assume as good as any Fiat dealer. And as bad as any Jeep dealer. - SUNDAY UPDATE YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!** Chinese EV has first problem!!!
We can't ignore the high fuel prices, so what's it like running the T03?
The official range - 165 miles. A good bit less in the colder weather, but if your plugged in every night you'll always have a full battery in the morning.
In the current weather, much improved range - currently showing nearly 180 miles on a full charge! Would it actually do that? Quite possibly not far off, here's why.
I average about 4.2 mpKwh on a weekly mix of urban and a 55 motorway trip. Yesterday, I did the 55 mile trip but since it was a nice day and I wasn't in a hurry, I took the back roads - lower average speed, more regen braking, and the car managed 5.7 mpKwh! What does that mean in range? It meant I travelled the 55 miles using an indicated loss of 34 miles range reduction! Woo! Depending on usage and driving style, this can be a very economical car.
The mileage range is always an estimate based on a number of factors, but I and other owners recon it's pretty accurate in the T03. For comparison, the same 55 trip on motorway uses approx 55 miles of range.
Charging costs are dependent of course on the electricity rate, but a smallish battery along with a good home EV rate could result in extremely cheap running costs. I can't charge at home, but I'm still pleased with the low costs I have using the right public chargers.
Very impressive little car indeed.
Happy Sunday everyone!
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff