Leap Motor (零跑) Hits Big: A10 Priced at 65,800 Yuan, Brings LiDAR into the ~80,000‑Yuan Tier

Price and tech shock

Leap Motor (零跑) stunned the market by launching the A10 at 65,800 yuan, a price point that — it has been reported — effectively pushes lidar-equipped driving aids down into the roughly 80,000‑yuan tier. Why does that matter? Because until now centimetre‑level lidar and extensive sensor suites were largely confined to much more expensive models. The A10 packs a 300‑metre range, 140° lidar with centimetre precision alongside 27 perception sensors and, reportedly, a Qualcomm 8650 brain delivering about 200 TOPS equivalent, enabling 43 assisted‑driving functions including a rare “parking‑space to parking‑space” urban pilot.

Driving, battery and chassis

Leap says the A10 uses a 90 kW seven‑in‑one oil‑cooled e‑drive, supports 150 km/h cruise and hits 160 km/h top speed, while claiming a combined consumption as low as 10.7 kWh/100 km. Battery options are 39.8 kWh and 53 kWh LFP packs with CLTC ranges of 403 km and 505 km; 2.5C fast charging and up to 133 kW peak charging yield a 30→80% charge in about 16 minutes. The chassis is conventional (front MacPherson, rear torsion beam) but Leap emphasizes space efficiency — a 602 L base boot, 1,549 L with seats down and numerous practical storage solutions.

Cabin, AI and segment ambition

Interior tech punches above the price: an 8.88‑inch instrument cluster, 14.6‑inch 2.5K central screen, 12‑speaker 540 W audio, extensive soft‑touch surfaces and a claimed integration of the Tongyi Qianwen voice large model — reportedly enabling persistent multi‑turn AI assistant capabilities. Leap has also placed a premium Snapdragon 8295P for the cockpit, a chip more commonly found in cars well above this price band. The result is a feature set meant to reframe expectations for sub‑100k‑yuan EVs. How did Leap do it? Tight vertical engineering, component choices and aggressive pricing.

Market context and risks

It has been reported that Leap sold nearly 600,000 vehicles in 2025 (up about 103% year‑on‑year) and aims for one million units in 2026; the A10 is positioned as a high‑volume global model, slated for about 40 markets, and was launched directly to sale with no presale phase — a sign of confidence. Geopolitics and supply‑chain policy still matter: advanced chips and sensor supply chains cross borders and sit under scrutiny amid export controls and trade tensions, so scaling lidar and high‑end compute at low cost will be watched closely by rivals and regulators alike.