Author: Guo Hehe
In the recent sales ranking of new forces, “Wei Xiaoli” is no longer dominant. The rising stars are NETA and Lengpao, which are known for their cost-effectiveness. Especially, Lengpao has become the leader of new forces. Since the establishment of the brand, Lengpao has always been known as the “price butcher” of new forces. This time, they have targeted C-class sedans.
On May 10th, Lengpao’s large pure electric sedan Lengpao C01 officially started presale, with a presale price ranging from 180,000 to 2.7 million yuan, totaling five configurations, including:
★ 500 Standard Range Version (rear-wheel drive, 0-100 km/h in 7.61 seconds)
★ 606 Long Range Version (rear-wheel drive, 0-100 km/h in 7.46 seconds)
★ 717 Ultra-long Range Version (rear-wheel drive, 0-100 km/h in 7.18 seconds)
★ 630 Pro Performance Version (four-wheel drive, 0-100 km/h in 4.26 seconds)
★ 630 Pro+ High-performance Version (four-wheel drive, 0-100 km/h in 3.66 seconds)
In terms of size, Lengpao C01 has a length of 5053mm / width of 1890mm / height of 1503mm, and a wheelbase of 2930mm. Looking at the data alone, you may not have a clear concept. To give a couple of examples, this size is longer than mainstream electric sedans such as the Model S, XPeng P7, and BYD Han, and is only slightly shorter than NIO’s ET7, and the wheelbase is between XPeng P7 and BYD Han. Therefore, it is clear that this is an actual C-class sedan.
An 18 million yuan C-class car, is Lengpao losing money or making a difference? Don’t worry, read on.
Regarding the Lengpao C01, the official website has listed “1/3/5/7” highlights.
“1” is the first mass-produced CTC body and battery integration model. What is CTC technology? CTC stands for “Cell-To-Chassis,” which refers to the battery-chassis integrated technology that combines the battery and chassis into one. To put it simply, it’s like a smartphone. The phone’s battery has changed from a separate battery to a body-integrated one, becoming a part of the machine, which can increase battery capacity by improving volume utilization.Currently, the majority of electric vehicles use standardized modular battery integration technology. The modules are composed of cells and the battery packs are composed of modules. These packs are then inserted into the chassis, resulting in a complex design that requires additional parts and increases production costs. This design also has a low space utilization rate and intrudes on the passenger space inside the vehicle, which negatively affects the driving range. This is why some electric vehicles have high platforms and uncomfortable seating arrangements.
Later, car makers introduced the CTP (cell to pack) technology which directly integrates the cells into the battery pack and integrates the pack into the vehicle floor as a structural component. This increases space utilization and reduces manufacturing costs. BYD’s blade battery is one example of this technology.
Leapmotor’s CTC technology goes further than CTP by integrating the battery and the chassis into a single unit. According to Leapmotor, this solution increases the vertical space of the vehicle by 10mm and increases the battery space by 14.5%. The battery capacity and driving range are improved due to the reduction in weight resulting from fewer components. With the continuous evolution of CTC technology, Leapmotor claims that it can be compatible with 800V high voltage platforms and support 400 kW super fast charging. This enables “refueling-style” charging, achieving more than 200km of driving range after charging for 5 minutes.
Of course, the vision and direction are good, but the true effectiveness of these technologies can only be determined with time.
The “3” refers to Leapmotor’s C01’s acceleration time from 0-100 km/h. In terms of mechanical hardware, Leapmotor is dedicated to optimizing the chassis and interior materials, since they do not have to worry about the limitations of an engine and a gearbox. The C01 uses a front double-wishbone and rear five-link independent suspension system with lightweight aluminum alloys which improve handling and increase driving range.In terms of powertrain, the ZERO RUN C01 high-performance version is equipped with two front and rear oil-cooled electric motors with a maximum output power of 400 kW and a maximum torque of 720 N·m. The C01 high-performance version can achieve a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 3.66 seconds.
In comparison, the Xpeng P7 Performance version has a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 4.3 seconds, the Model 3 Performance has a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 3.3 seconds, and the BYD Han EV four-wheel-drive version has a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 3.9 seconds. The acceleration performance of the ZERO RUN C01 is very good. But considering the tuning level of the vehicle, most consumers may not need a car that is so fast, especially if they pursue comfort. However, for young consumers, the ability to buy a car that can achieve a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 3 seconds for only 270,000 yuan is indeed appealing.
The “5” refers to a vehicle length of more than 5 meters, which has already been mentioned earlier. The “7” represents the maximum range of the ZERO RUN C01, which can reach 717km. Currently, only Xpeng P7, JiKe 001, AION V, and IM L7 claim to have a range of more than 700km. For a C-class sedan, range is obviously more important than performance. From the price range, we can see that the long-range version of the ZERO RUN C01 is placed on the mid-range version, which is clearly the version that will sell the most. This means that the ZERO RUN C01 is currently the cheapest electric vehicle on the market with a range of more than 700km. This pricing strategy is very aggressive.
Looking back at the pricing strategy of ZERO RUN C01, the cost-effectiveness of the car is still very high, but it is also the most expensive model in the ZERO RUN lineup. ZERO RUN’s recent success is highly related to the high cost-effectiveness of the T03 and C11. However, when a car is close to 300,000 yuan, the cost-effectiveness ratio will be diluted. Social attributes, brand services, and supporting facilities are also factors that consumers value. Even the most luxurious domestic electric vehicles may not necessarily outsell the 1.5T Mercedes-Benz C-Class. For ZERO RUN, the C01 is a powerful attempt to move the brand upmarket. Whether it succeeds or not, this step must be taken.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.