Leapmotor T03 vs. Citroën e-C3
The electric car revolution is well and truly underway, with most major manufacturers now offering at least one completely engineless vehicle.
However, while the public's enthusiasm for electric vehicles is growing, the high upfront cost remains a significant barrier to ownership for many.
While running costs are attractively low, you only need to glance at a manufacturer that offers a petrol version and an electric version of the same car to see that electric vehicles command a significant premium over their combustion-engined counterparts.
But this has started to change in the last year or two – and now there are several budget electric cars on sale that promise all the benefits of battery-operated motoring without breaking the bank.
Today, we're comparing two contenders in the affordable EV segment: the Leapmotor T03 and the Citroën e-C3.
While the French manufacturer’s name will be familiar to many, the Leapmotor marque may not be. That is because it's Chinese, hasn't been around for very long, and, until recently, the brand had never attempted to sell a car in the UK.
But, just as the mode of power is changing, so too is the automotive landscape – Leapmotor is one of around a dozen Chinese names entering the UK market, along with Omoda, Jaecoo, Skywell, Ora, BYD and others.
Leapmotor’s international operations are also majority-owned by Stellantis, which owns over a dozen manufacturers, including Fiat, Peugeot, Vauxhall, and, as it happens, Citroën.
So, these are two distant Stellantis cousins going head-to-head.
The Leapmotor T03 and the Citroën e-C3 are small hatchbacks - strictly speaking, a city car in the former case and a supermini in the latter.
However, both offer dimensions suitable for town centres and claim to have a lot to offer despite their low price tags.
So, can you really live with these as your main car?
We have driven both, so let’s find out.
Design & Practicality
The Leapmotor T03 is a compact city car with a boxy shape but rounded edges. Its almost cartoonish aesthetic makes it stand out.
If a Mini Cooper and a Fiat 500e had a baby, it might look something like this – and with its family-friendly looks, the T03 shows off an arguably endearing personality.
Despite its small size, it maximises interior space, offering a surprisingly big helping of headroom and legroom for a car of this type. The space in the rear is aided by the fact that it's only a four-seater model, as there's no middle backseat.
Visibility out of the front isn’t a deal-breaker, but it’s not the best, especially as it has quite a low driving position and a high bonnet. The bottoms of the side windows are quite high up, especially towards the rear of the car.
At the back, you’ll get parking sensors and a rear-view camera.
It also offers a very small boot, with 210 litres of space, while the rear seats fold in two sections - technically, this would be a 50:50 split, given that there are only two of them.
The Citroën e-C3, on the other hand, takes inspiration from its petrol counterpart, which is virtually identical.
As a result, the e-C3 maintains its combustion-engined sibling’s familiar, slightly rugged crossover styling, especially with its patterned cladding dominating the doors.
With a higher ground clearance and chunkier proportions compared with the T03, it offers a more conventional small-car experience.
Forward visibility is better than that of the Leapmotor, helped by a driving position that's on par with its SUV-focused styling. The seats are made using the same techniques as mattresses, which is a good omen for their comfort.
Like the Leapmotor, there’s plenty of headroom and legroom, which is impressive in the back, while Citroën offers three seats across the rear bench.
The e-C3 doesn't have a huge boot, which, at 310 litres, is not class-leading, although it's still 100 litres more than the T03.
Like the T03, the seats fold down into two sections. However, this is a 60:40 split because one side folds down a single seat while the other folds down the two other seats.
Interior & Technology
Inside, both cars are cost-conscious, but the approach taken by the two manufacturers is noticeably different.
The T03 aims for a modern, minimalist design featuring a large touchscreen and digital driver's display.
However, while most minimalistic cabins look decluttered, the design quality subconsciously reassures you that plenty of amenities are hidden away.
The T03, though, offers no such reassurance. It gives off a whiff of cheapness and emptiness, as though it simply doesn’t have much to offer.
The materials are basic, with plenty of hard plastics and not a lot in the way of plush, soft-to-the-touch surfaces.
However, the T03 certainly has one advantage: the 10.0-inch infotainment touchscreen is nice to use.
It offers clear and attractive graphics and a responsive interface. The eight-inch digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel also looks nice, although it doesn't provide much information.
There is SatNav, but it’s fairly basic. If you want to use your smartphone instead, you'll have to rely on the phone screen itself, as there is no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
That is a concern, given that smartphone mirroring is something you can virtually take for granted in nearly all new cars today. Furthermore, the air conditioning controls are buried within the touchscreen, making it fiddly to adjust them on the move.
However, the biggest issue is that the touchscreen is positioned relatively low compared with most other cars. Therefore, you have to glance quite far from the road to look at it while moving, and the steering wheel always obscures part of it.
In typical Citroën fashion, the e-C3 prioritises comfort, with ultra-absorbing seats and fabric with nice square patterns.
Like the T03, it doesn’t look laden with luxuries, but it doesn’t look anywhere near as bare or bland, with plenty of interesting shapes to create a feel-good factor that's arguably absent from the Leapmotor.
It features a quirky and stylish two-tiered dashboard and a steering wheel that is both flat-topped and flat-bottomed.
Like on many Citroens, the speedometer is positioned close to the windscreen – Citroën calls this a head-up display, but it isn't in the usual sense of the term.
The 10.25-inch infotainment screen is perched in a more user-friendly position on top of the dashboard's lower tier.
Its menu layout is too simple, though, so it isn’t as feature-rich or attractive as the Leapmotor’s screen layout.
Mind you, that’s partly because not everything is integrated within the touchscreen. For example, the air conditioning is controlled via more convenient physical buttons and, unlike the Leapmotor, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are factory-fitted.
Performance & Driving Experience
Neither car is built for speed, but both can easily handle city centre driving.
The T03 produces just 95PS, which isn’t a lot. Zero to 62mph takes 12.7 seconds, although had the car been much bigger, we'd have expected it to take even longer.
It has several driving modes. We would choose Standard, as Eco makes things even slower, but once you get going, it can hold its own.
It handles fine at low speeds around town and seems quite dynamic and perky to drive.
But push it harder, and it's quickly found wanting at higher speeds. Artificial-feeling steering contributes to a car that seems anything but athletic, despite Leapmotor’s claims of its agility.
Sticking to lower speed roads, though, it’s not bad to drive.
It is also pretty comfortable, helped by the absorbing seats in the cabin. It handles undulating road surfaces with ease and limits wind and tyre noise.
The e-C3 offers more power at 113PS, so it'll go from 0 to 62mph in 10.7 seconds. That is still not very quick, but it should be just about acceptable in a car like this.
Compared with the T03, it feels sturdier when travelling at motorway speeds and is quicker than its performance figures suggest.
Around town at low speeds, it’s a match for the Leapmotor, offering smooth power delivery when you need to go more quickly.
Handling isn’t a strong suit, though, as it generates plenty of body roll around faster bends. However, it can feel engaging to drive, and the steering feels more natural compared with the T03.
Its speciality, though, is the ride comfort – impressive on the T03, but altogether superb in the e-C3 - helped by Citroën's Advanced Comfort suspension, which feels like you're floating on a cloud.
There is more wind and road noise, especially as you approach 50mph and beyond, but it's not loud enough to cause a problem.
Range & Charging
Range anxiety is a significant concern for budget EV owners, especially as low-cost small hatchbacks are likely to have smaller batteries than most electric cars, given their intended use for town centre shopping trips and short school runs.
The Leapmotor T03 has a 37.3kWh battery, which is good for a claimed range of 165 miles. It can be charged at a maximum rate of 48kW, meaning a 30-80% top-up takes around 36 minutes.
The Citroën e-C3 has a slightly larger 43.7kWh battery, which will apparently take you 199 miles on a single full charge, in part thanks to superior aerodynamics, while it can charge from 20-80% in 26 minutes.
Note that Citroën quotes a 20-80% figure, while Leapmotor quotes a shorter 30-80% figure.
In terms of range, these are laboratory figures. In the real world, the actual achieved figure depends on any number of factors, including ambient temperature, weather conditions and, of course, your driving style.
Our tests revealed the T03 was on course for around 140 miles, with the e-C3 getting on for about 160 miles.
Your experience may differ, though.
Regarding range and charging times, the e-C3 wins this hands down, although this might not be a deal-breaker for the T03's chances.
Cost & Value for Money
Price is, of course, a major factor when considering a budget car.
The T03 undercuts most competitors – in fact, except for the Dacia Spring, it’s the cheapest electric car you can purchase in the United Kingdom at £15,995.
As a result, it’s a tempting offer for those who want something that’s ultra-affordable.
There are no trim levels on the T03, so what you see is what you get. While you do get a rear-view camera and SatNav, which you won’t get on the entry-level e-C3, you don’t get a huge number of additional luxuries on top.
It does offer a panoramic sunroof as standard, though, which isn't provided on the e-C3.
The e-C3 is still cheap by electric car standards, but buying it outright costs several thousand pounds more than the Leapmotor, at £22,095 for the base ‘Plus’ model, while the upper-tier ‘Max’ model costs £23,795.
However, the e-C3 offers considerably more refinement and a bigger brand presence.
Its better range, superior performance, superbly comfortable ride, and additional features like Apple CarPlay/Android Auto may justify the extra cost for many buyers.
It also comes with rain-sensing wipers, automatic LED headlights, and a synthetic leather steering wheel.
Some may even argue that the small price increase to the Max model is worth it, given that it adds SatNav, a wireless phone charger, and heated front seats.
It also adds cabin pre-heating, perfect on freezing winter mornings.
Verdict
So, can you really live with one of these budget EVs?
Well, yes - until you need to make a journey longer than about 130 miles.
If there's one thing that's clear, budget EVs are intended to be small cars with small batteries that travel smaller distances.
If you generally drive less than 100 miles a day and are prepared to plug it in each night, then there's no reason that a car with limited range can't be suitable as your main car.
On balance, if you can afford it, we'd recommend the Citroën e-C3 despite its heftier price tag.
While Leapmotor has made a decent first foray into the UK market, it needs time to mature, refine and improve a few things that’ll make it easier to live with day-to-day.
We suspect that some of the T03’s weaknesses, such as the bland cabin, the lack of smartphone mirroring and the infotainment screen's low, obstructed position, will frustrate you after a while.
That said, if you're mainly making five-minute journeys into town, so you aren't as reliant on ride comfort, can live without Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and won't use the infotainment much, many of the e-C3's advantages go out the window.
However, if you need something more versatile, comfortable, technologically friendly, and with a bigger boot, the e-C3 is definitely the better bet.
It offers a better range, is nicer to drive, is easier to cope with on longer journeys, and is, all things considered, the more well-rounded and refined choice.
The savings made by having the Leapmotor shouldn't be overlooked, though, if you don't drive much and rarely make journeys longer than five, ten or fifteen minutes.
Regardless of what you choose, both of these cars are proof that electric car ownership doesn't have to come with a premium price tag.
