Leapmotor B10 review: pre-orders open from $10,000, LIDAR standard across the board

As an environmentalist who has long been concerned about the development of new energy vehicles, I have always believed that technological advances should serve a wider group of people. When the news of the LEAPMOTOR B10 coming with LIDAR as standard at a pre-sale price of $10,000 came out, I realised that this could be the key vehicle to promote the popularity of intelligent driving.

On the day of the test drive appointment, it was drizzling in Hangzhou. At the LEAPMOTOR experience centre, the engineers introduced the hardware layout of the B10 in detail: WoSai AT128 LIDAR has a maximum detection distance of 200 meters, and the dual Orin-X chips achieve dynamic distribution of computing power through self-developed algorithms. This kind of configuration combination is not common in models in the same price range, especially with the LIDAR, which shows me LEAPMOTOR's determination to push the technology down.

The B10's NAC Urban Assisted Driving performance exceeded expectations during the city road test drive. On the congested section of Qingchun Road, the system recognised the congested vehicles in advance and slowed down linearly, which was smoother than human drivers. When passing through the construction area, the LIDAR accurately identified the engineering vehicles without warning lights and decelerated 200 metres in advance. This ability to perceive complex environments doubles the sense of safety when driving in rainy days.

When testing the auto-parking function in the basement, the B10 recognised the angled parking space and kept a safe distance of 15cm from the obstacle, making the whole process more precise than manual operation. A member of an environmental organisation who took the car for a test drive exclaimed, ‘If this kind of technology can be popularised, it will reduce the waste of resources caused by a large number of cut-through accidents every year.’

The Smart Cockpit uses a combination of 8295 chip + 12GB of memory, which remains smooth even after five applications such as navigation, music, and air conditioning have been opened continuously. The four-zone voice control function allows accurate recognition of commands issued by the main driver and passenger at the same time, a multitasking capability that is very useful for family travelling.The AR-HUD's navigation information is projected clearly, and key information such as speed and speed limit signs can be seen at a glance, which effectively reduces the frequency of looking down at the instrument.

During the week-long test, I simulated three scenarios: daily commuting, weekend trips, and nighttime charging:

City conditions (air conditioning 24°C): 15.8kWh per 100km
High-speed conditions (110km/h cruise): 100km power consumption 19.2kWh
Combined range attainment: 84% (CLTC 530km)
Fast charging test shows that it takes 26 minutes to charge from 30% to 80%, 12 minutes faster than a competitor. Repair and maintenance costs average 1,200 yuan per year, saving 60% compared to fuel cars of the same price range. Calculated on the basis of driving 15,000km per year, the cost of electricity is only about 900 RMB, which is equivalent to a reduction of 3.6 tonnes of carbon emissions.
At the experience centre, I met several typical users:

Mr Zhang, a programmer: ‘The dual-chip configuration allows the car system to run smoothly and multitasking without pressure.’
Ms Li, a novice driver: ‘The auto-parking and emergency avoidance functions greatly enhance driving confidence.’
Ms Wang, a family with two children: ‘The rear one-key child lock and mother and baby mode reflect the care for family users.’
The sales consultant revealed that environmentalists accounted for 18 per cent of the orders in the first week of the pre-sale. An academic engaged in sustainable transport research said, ‘The B10’s energy performance and intelligent configuration are in line with the development direction of green travel.’

The mass production of leapmotor B10 has driven the optimisation of supply chain costs. The person in charge of a LiDAR manufacturer said, ‘Zero Run's order volume gives us confidence to control the unit price within 5,000 yuan, which was unimaginable three years ago.’ This cost reduction will ultimately benefit all consumers and accelerate the popularity of intelligent driving technology.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the B10's soundproofing performance. The double-seal design makes the idle noise only 38.6dB, so you don't need to raise the volume of your conversation at high speeds. The in-car system has built-in mainstream APPs, supports online updates, and can be used as a home theatre when camping.

As for the official price, I'm as excited as many other prospective owners. Referring to the pricing strategy of the LEAPMOTOR C10, the starting price of the B10 may be as low as 105,800 yuan, with 130,000 yuan for the top end. If this comes true, the pattern of the 120,000-class new energy SUV market will be completely rewritten. LEAPMOTOR officials are also planning to launch a battery recycling programme to further enhance its environmental attributes.

As an environmentalist, I am not only concerned about the performance of the vehicle itself, but also the significance of the technology behind it, and the emergence of the LEAPMOTOR B10 makes intelligent driving technology no longer the exclusive domain of a few people, but a practical configuration that benefits the public. It may not be perfect, but in terms of reliability, economy and intelligence, it has achieved a comprehensive balance at this stage. To paraphrase a colleague, ‘It's not about buying a car, it's about participating in a technological affirmative action movement.’ It is this philosophy that is the core driver for the automotive industry to move in a more sustainable direction.