In February 2022, A Chinese carmaker named Leapmotor announced a new EV known as the C01. It was a tech monster with a coupe-esque design and even claims impressive performance. We are aware that the C01 won't be available in the U.S. but we are sure that it might have curbed sales of the conventional EVs if it were to launch. For $27,000, the Leapmotor C01 offers 310 miles of range, 542 horsepower and a 0-62 in under four seconds, which demolishes Tesla’s cheapest sedan, the Model 3.

The Tesla Model 3 is like the gateway to the luxury electric sedan world in the U.S., but what if you are paying more for the performance, capabilities, and even features? Enter the new C01 from Leapmotor. It is an EV with coupe-like styling and a lot of performance for its asking price of ¥180,000 or about $27,000. So there are a couple of interesting highlights about this four-sedan sedan that are worth the attention.

The C01 will be built on the brand's C-Vehicle platform, and it will happen to carry a large 90-kWh battery pack. The brand claims that the C01 will be the first mass-production model to have the CTC (Cell-To-Chassis) technology. This basically means that the battery will be integrated inside the chassis, rather than leaving it open under the floor. This technology claims to improve shock resistance, strength, and collision safety of the vehicle.

Next is the performance, which sounds a bit untrue for its asking price. Leapmotor claims that the electric powertrain inside the C01 can put out 542 horsepower and has oil-cooling technology for sustained performance throughout its claimed 620,000-mile life. On the road, Leapmotor claims that the C01 can do naught to 62 miles per hour in under four seconds, and who knows, maybe it will perform better than the Ford Mustang Mach-E. While the base model will provide a range of 310 miles, the range-topping models will offer as much as 445 miles between a complete battery cycle. Leapmotor is certainly trying to curb the Tesla sales in China with the C01.

From the outside, the C01 seems to be quite a striking sedan coupled with all the modern design aesthetics including sleek LED headlights, flush door handles, a sloping roofline, and a huge length of almost 200 inches. Leapmotor seems to describe the C01 as a mid-to-large sedan because maybe the higher trims will have a long wheelbase to provide S-Class-like rear legroom. We know that long-wheelbase cars are very popular in the Chinese market. We also witnessed the Audi A8 L Horch, exclusively made for the Chinese market, back in 2021.

The official renders suggest that the interior of the C01 will feature all the luxury amenities you could ask for. So there will be three displays stuck to the dashboard, which are kind of similar to the Mercedes-Benz EQS. The display will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chipset for faster computing. The infotainment system is said to feature facial recognition as well.

Destined to launch at the end of 2022, the Leapmotor C01 will be an amazing value-for-money luxury electric sedan for the Chinese market. It is a pity to not have it reach the American shores and take down most of the popular EVs including the Tesla Model 3, Mustang Mach-E, and Jaguar I-Pace, but that's not to say it won't happen in the future.