2026 Leapmotor B01 is a cut-price Tesla Model 3 fighter

The 2026 Leapmotor B01 EV has debuted at the Shanghai motor show ahead of sales commencing in China later this year.

Priced from just 150,000 yuan ($A31,500), the B01 has been created to undercut the current 2025 Tesla Model 3 by more than a third (33%), while at the same time offering more space than the best-selling all-electric sedan.

Longer, taller but slightly narrower than a Model 3, the new B01 is 4770mm long (+50mm), 1880mm wide (-53mm) and stands 1490mm tall (+59mm).

Sharing the same design language already employed on the mid-size C10 and three-row C16 SUVs, the B01 features smooth styling and full-width front and rear lightbars.

Leapmotor has yet to confirm details of the B01’s powertrain, but a class-leading a drag coefficient of just 0.197Cd is claimed to provide a driving range of up to 650km.

Within, the B01 gets a large 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment and an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster, a 256-colour ambient lighting system and the option of a large panoramic roof.

Boot space is decent, with 460 litres offered behind the back seats, plus another 70 litres under the floor.

Like other Leapmotors offered in China, the latest B01 gets a LiDAR sensor and cameras for its most advanced driver assist tech.

In the past Stellantis, Leapmotor’s part-owner, has announced it has no plans to introduce the B01 to Australia, but the local outfit has been careful to not completely rule it out for a launch.

Currently, just the C10 is available Down Under, but that’s expected to change quickly following the brand’s declaration that it would “cover 65 per cent of the Australian segments” in the next three years.

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