Are Leapmotor advertisements deceptive?

The Chinese manufacturer, in which Stellantis is a shareholder, assembles its cars in Italy… but is excluded from the eco-bonus.

Everywhere on social networks, the highly attractive ads for LeapMotor catch the eye. Basically, a rate of €79/month for a 36-month lease with a tiny down payment of €350. For this price, the Chinese manufacturer, whose group Stellantis is a co-shareholder (20% of the capital), offers its 100% electric city car T03, which Mobiwisy has already tested in the past.

But in small print, there are asterisks everywhere, and when you take the time to read them, they are quite revealing. So, you understand that the price is conditional on a €4,000 eco-bonus and an additional €3,000 aid offered by Leapmotor. The problem is that no Leapmotor model is currently eligible for the eco-bonus in France. Better yet: a note states that if the French government does not recognize the T03 by November 18, 2024, then the customer can cancel their order… or proceed with a higher price. Nice.

Why this failure?

France maintains the list of all electric cars eligible for the eco-bonus. The criteria for acceptance consider the distance between manufacturing and selling locations, the origin of materials, and also the government aid provided. In short, highly subsidized Chinese cars aimed at destroying the European industry are under scrutiny.

To bypass this issue, Stellantis came up with the idea of relocating production aimed at Europe to its Italian Fiat factories, which have been running at half capacity for months. Not a stupid idea… but so far, it has not convinced France of its relevance. It’s just a simple assembly of a car delivered in kit form from China… so the problem remains exactly the same.

However, Leapmotor and Stellantis are aware of all this: so why launch such an advertising campaign that they know is deceptive?

What is the value of the T03 without a bonus?

Without the €3,000 aid from Leapmotor or the eco-bonus, the price of the T03 jumps from €14,900 to €21,900. With the discount retained, it drops to €18,900, exactly the same as the Dacia Spring. There you go!

So, for €18,900, the Leapmotor T03 offers a 37.3 kWh battery and up to 265 km of range. The Dacia Spring promises up to 225 km in mixed cycle. Power is set at 95 horsepower (50% versus the Dacia Spring with 65 hp). The equipment is very full and more impressive than in the Dacia: Electric handbrake, automatic air conditioning, electrically adjustable mirrors, front and rear electric windows, Bluetooth key, rear parking sensors and backup camera, panoramic roof with electric sunshade, 10″ center console with navigation, 15-inch alloy wheels, 2 front airbags and 2 side airbags at the front + 2 side airbags at the rear.

Ultimately, this is a nice little everyday electric car… but Chinese and therefore not so cheap. A recent offer from MG or Renault would give even more for less money.

ALSO READ: Leapmotor T03, Stellantis’ Chinese ruse