Less than a month after initially teasing a camouflaged version of its new, all-electric B10 SUV, Leapmotor and joint venture partner Stellantis have officially unveiled the latest model in Paris before it goes on sale globally at an enticing starting price between $14,000 and $21,000.
The B10 SUV is the latest BEV from Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology Co., Ltd., better known as Leapmotor, a publicly traded EV automaker in China founded in 2015. We’ve covered the company more extensively the past year after Stellantis took a $1.6 billion stake in it in October 2023 before forming a joint venture to sell its vehicles in Europe.
This past March, the JV was approved as Leapmotor International, giving Stellantis exclusive rights to build and sell its new partner’s EVs outside China. By June, Stellantis had already begun production of the Leapmotor T03 in Europe before officially launching alongside the C10 last month.
In September, Leapmotor began teasing its next generation of all-electric SUV, the B10, which will be sold globally in markets including China and Europe. At that time, Leapmotor shared that it would officially unveil the new SUV to the public at the annual Paris Motor Show in October.
Earlier today, the Chinese automaker and its European JV partner pulled the sheet off the B10, which, based on its targeted pricing, could sell quite well globally.
Leapmotor B10 kicks off a new line of B-Series BEVs
As promised, Leapmotor International unveiled the B10 SUV to the crowds at the Paris Motor Show this week. The SUV is the first in Leapmotor’s new line of B-Series EVs, built atop the automaker’s new LEAP 3.5 architecture that enables “advanced smart technologies, ADAS systems, and customizable digital cockpit, designed for tech-savvy and eco-conscious consumers.”
Lame Duck Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares was on stage with Leapmotor founder Zhu Jiangming during the unveiling, marking a milestone as the Chinese automaker’s first model design specifically for the global market. The joint venture has promised to deliver several additional B-Series models overseas by next year. Leapmotor International CEO Tianshu Xin spoke during the event:
Leapmotor International may be a start-up, but it’s a start-up with two incredibly strong parents. One brings innovation and competitive pricing to the table, while the other—through our partnership with Stellantis—offers powerful global resources and an unmatched service infrastructure. Together, we are able to offer consumers products like the B10, which combine cutting-edge technology with affordability.
Before the Leapmotor B10 hits the market in Europe, it will become available to customers in China. Per CnEVpost, the Chinese automaker is targeting starting pricing between RMB 100,000 ($14,110) and RMB 150,000 ($21,160). Those prices should be higher in Europe, especially with the recently proposed tariffs taking effect on Chinese-built EVs.
Per Leapmotor, the B10 was designed to target “younger consumers seeking a vehicle that offers not only advanced technology and connectivity but also strong environmental credentials at a competitive price” and marks a milestone in Europe as the automaker looks to expand quickly.
Leapmotor began sales in Europe on September 23, 2024, and at the time, it had already established 200 dealers across 13 countries. The automaker shared plans to expand that footprint to 500 sales points in Europe by the end of 2025.
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Wind energy powered 20% of all electricity consumed in Europe (19% in the EU) in 2024, and the EU has set a goal to grow this share to 34% by 2030 and more than 50% by 2050.
To stay on track, the EU needs to install 30 GW of new wind farms annually, but it only managed 13 GW in 2024 – 11.4 GW onshore and 1.4 GW offshore. This is what’s holding the EU back from achieving its wind growth goals.
Three big problems holding Europe’s wind power back
Europe’s wind power growth is stalling for three key reasons:
Permitting delays. Many governments haven’t implemented the EU’s new permitting rules, making it harder for projects to move forward.
Grid connection bottlenecks. Over 500 GW(!) of potential wind capacity is stuck in grid connection queues.
Slow electrification. Europe’s economy isn’t electrifying fast enough to drive demand for more renewable energy.
Brussels-based trade association WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson summed it up: “The EU must urgently tackle all three problems. More wind means cheaper power, which means increased competitiveness.”
Permitting: Germany sets the standard
Permitting remains a massive roadblock, despite new EU rules aimed at streamlining the process. In fact, the situation worsened in 2024 in many countries. The bright spot? Germany. By embracing the EU’s permitting rules — with measures like binding deadlines and treating wind energy as a public interest priority — Germany approved a record 15 GW of new onshore wind in 2024. That’s seven times more than five years ago.
If other governments follow Germany’s lead, Europe could unlock the full potential of wind energy and bolster energy security.
Grid connections: a growing crisis
Access to the electricity grid is now the biggest obstacle to deploying wind energy. And it’s not just about long queues — Europe’s grid infrastructure isn’t expanding fast enough to keep up with demand. A glaring example is Germany’s 900-megawatt (MW) Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind farm. The turbines are ready to go, but the grid connection won’t be in place until 2026.
This issue isn’t isolated. Governments need to accelerate grid expansion if they’re serious about meeting renewable energy targets.
Electrification: falling behind
Wind energy’s growth is also tied to how quickly Europe electrifies its economy. Right now, electricity accounts for just 23% of the EU’s total energy consumption. That needs to jump to 61% by 2050 to align with climate goals. However, electrification efforts in key sectors like transportation, heating, and industry are moving too slowly.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has tasked Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen with crafting an Electrification Action Plan. That can’t come soon enough.
More wind farms awarded, but challenges persist
On a positive note, governments across Europe awarded a record 37 GW of new wind capacity (29 GW in the EU) in 2024. But without faster permitting, better grid connections, and increased electrification, these awards won’t translate into the clean energy-producing wind farms Europe desperately needs.
Investments and corporate interest
Investments in wind energy totaled €31 billion in 2024, financing 19 GW of new capacity. While onshore wind investments remained strong at €24 billion, offshore wind funding saw a dip. Final investment decisions for offshore projects remain challenging due to slow permitting and grid delays.
Corporate consumers continue to show strong interest in wind energy. Half of all electricity contracted under Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in 2024 was wind. Dedicated wind PPAs were 4 GW out of a total of 12 GW of renewable PPAs.
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss the official unveiling of the new Tesla Model Y, Mazda 6e, Aptera solar car production-intent, and more.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
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Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):
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The Chinese EV leader is launching a new flagship electric sedan. BYD’s new Han L EV leaked in China on Friday, revealing a potential Tesla Model S Plaid challenger.
What we know about the BYD Han L EV so far
We knew it was coming soon after BYD teased the Han L on social media a few days ago. Now, we are learning more about what to expect.
BYD’s new electric sedan appeared in China’s latest Ministry of Industry and Information Tech (MIIT) filing, a catalog of new vehicles that will soon be sold.
The filing revealed four versions, including two EV and two PHEV models. The Han L EV will be available in single- and dual-motor configurations. With a peak power of 580 kW (777 hp), the single-motor model packs more power than expected.
BYD’s dual-motor Han L gains an additional 230 kW (308 hp) front-mounted motor. As CnEVPost pointed out, the vehicle’s back has a “2.7S” badge, which suggests a 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) sprint time of just 2.7 seconds.
To put that into perspective, the Tesla Model S Plaid can accelerate from 0 to 100 km in 2.1 seconds. In China, the Model S Plaid starts at RBM 814,900, or over $110,000. Speaking of Tesla, the EV leader just unveiled its highly anticipated Model Y “Juniper” refresh in China on Thursday. It starts at RMB 263,500 ($36,000).
BYD already sells the Han EV in China, starting at around RMB 200,000. However, the single front motor, with a peak power of 180 kW, is much less potent than the “L” model. The Han EV can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds.
At 5,050 mm long, 1,960 mm wide, and 1,505 mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,970 mm, BYD’s new Han L is roughly the size of the Model Y (4,970 mm long, 1,964 mm wide, 1,445 mm tall, wheelbase of 2,960 mm).
Other than that it will use a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) pack from BYD’s FinDreams unit, no other battery specs were revealed. Check back soon for the full rundown.