Summary
The Leapmotor T03 is a small electric five-door hatchback, classed as a city car. It’s similar in size to the Dacia Spring or Fiat 500e. It was launched in the UK in early 2025.
Leapmotor is a new Chinese brand that is part of the vast Stellantis network, making it a sister brand to the likes of Vauxhall, Peugeot and Citroën. The T03 is one of the company’s first models to be launched in the UK. As of May 2025, there are about 40 dealers already in place across the UK, located alongside existing dealers from the Stellantis network.
The Leapmotor T03 is one of the cheapest new cars on the UK market, as well as being an electric car. Its major rival is the Dacia Spring – in terms of pricing, the Spring is a little cheaper but the T03 is better equipped.
Interior space is very good for a city car, helped by the fact that its an EV so the room required for a motor and battery is much less than needed for a petrol engine, gearbox, exhaust system, fuel tank and so on. This is particularly noticeable in the rear seats, although the boot is nothing to celebrate.
At its UK launch in early 2025, the T03 was highly praised for its keen pricing, high levels of standard equipment and spacious interior. However, the driving experience leaves much to be desired, especially from its electronic nanny systems. These drew many complaints from reviewers, with our own editor, Stuart Masson, describing them as “probably the most annoying and distracting anti-distraction systems of any new car” and “patently not fit for purpose”.
As of May 2025, the Leapmotor T03 holds a New Car Expert Rating of C ,with a score of 64%. It scores top marks for its low running costs (although we only have limited information at present) and zero tailpipe emissions, but its media review scores have been very poor. As yet, we don’t have a safety rating as Euro NCAP has not assessed the T03. Check back again soon for the latest information.
T03 highlights
- One of the cheapest new cars on sale
- High standard level of equipment
- Spacious interior, especially in rear seats
- Four-year new car warranty
- Fit and finish better than expected for the price
T03 lowlights
- Electronic safety aids are unbearable
- No Apple CarPlay or Android Auto
- Not very quiet for an EV
- Boot space rather disappointing
- Almost no physical buttons
Key specifications
Body style: Small five-door hatchback
Engines: single electric motor
Price: From £15,995 on-road
Launched: Spring 2025]
Last updated: N/A
Next update: TBA
Image gallery
Media reviews
Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.
Featured reviews
“In most ways, the new Leapmotor T03 impresses. It’s very well priced, you get a lot of kit for your money and it’s electric rather than petrol. But the electronic nanny systems are simply terrible.”
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6 / 10
Read full review
The Car Expert
Stuart Masson
“The Leapmotor T03 trades on maximum value for money. With its sights set firmly on Dacia, the T03 is a credible alternative to the Spring EV, and should win fans on kit count alone. There are a few quirks to the driving experience and it does look a little ungainly, but as a first step into EV ownership (or second car in the household) there’s little not to like.”
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
Read full review
Auto Express
Richard Ingram
More reviews
Auto Trader
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6 / 10
“Small and unashamedly basic, the Leapmotor T03 offers an affordable way to go electric … and little more than that.”
Author: Dan Trent
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Business Car
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“Like the Dacia Spring, the Leapmotor T03 has its limitations, as many will want bigger EVs with longer ranges, although the T03 seems the more polished option compared to the Spring. With its simple pricing and specification strategy, the Leapmotor could be the perfect, affordable way to turn a fleet electric.”
Author: Martyn Collins
Read review
Car
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6 / 10
“I was pleasantly surprised by the Leapmotor T03. I was expecting it to be like its Chinese rivals – good for a first attempt but lacking the polish of a European car. But if you overlook the wind noise and irritating safety bongs, it’s almost indiscernible. It slots right into the A-segment as a genuinely attractive offering.”
Author: Luke Wilkinson, Seth Walton
Read review
Carbuyer
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7.6 / 10
“The Leapmotor T03 is a very affordable EV, yet it’s well equipped, good to drive and has a usable range.”
Author: Charlie Harvey, Alastair Crooks, Tom Gumbrell
Read review
Carwow
Model reviewed: Range overview
“The Leapmotor T03 is the latest affordable electric car to hit the market and promises more range than the Dacia Spring – but it’s a totally unknown name and brand.”
Read review
Electrifying.com
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“Here’s an all-electric city car which costs the same as petrol-powered rivals, yet is packed full of equipment and has a decent range too. It’s also the most efficient car we’ve ever tested.”
Author: Tom Barnard
Read review
Green Car Guide
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“The Leapmotor T03 is one of the UK’s most affordable electric cars. It’s well equipped, it’s light and therefore agile to drive, performance from standstill is perfectly adequate for urban driving, and the range of 165 miles is practical for a city car. The main issue is whether people like its visual appearance – time will tell.”
Author: Paul Clarke
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Honest John
Model reviewed: Range overview
“New name it might be, but Leapmotor could be really onto something with the T03 until its rivals properly get their acts together.”
Read review
Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“Unparalleled value for an EV.”
Author: Luke Wilkinson, Seth Walton
Read review
The Independent
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Leapmotor T03 comes loaded with kit and is a decent town runaround for just £15,995.”
Author: Steve Fowler
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The Sun
Model reviewed: Range overview
“The Leapmotor T03 is a no-frills, budget EV that’s cheaper than a Fiat 500 – just not as cute.”
Author: Rob Gill
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The Sunday Times
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 5 / 10
“Cheap and cheerful-ish.”
Author: James Fossdyke
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The Telegraph
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6 / 10
“It’s hard to argue with the Leapmotor T03’s combination of very cheap and moderately cheerful, allied to its small size. It’s not great to drive, but if the UK government is going to get anywhere near its low CO2 targets as well as allowing the less well-off to maintain individual transportation, we’re going to need more cars like this in future.”
Author: Andrew English
Read review
Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6 / 10
“The Leapmotor T03 is no trolley with a roof: it comes across as well built, the interior is roomy, the drive’s more than adequate for pootling to the shops and it’s fairly comfy too. There’s bags of room for improvement though. Cheap cars like this can have character, something the T03 severely lacks. Plus the way the tech has been integrated will put a lot of people off. Please, please stop beeping at us.”
Read review
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
No safety rating
As of May 2025, the Leapmotor T03 has not been assessed by Euro NCAP.
Eco rating
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
No eco rating
As of May 2025, the Leapmotor T03 has not been assessed by Green NCAP.
The Green NCAP programme measures exhaust pollution (which is zero for an electric car) and energy efficiency. Electric cars are much more energy-efficient than combustion cars, so the T03 is likely to score very highly in Green NCAP testing if and when it takes place. Check back again soon.
Running cost rating
Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data
| Battery range | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| EV models | 165 miles | C | 165 – 165 miles | C – C |
| Electrical efficiency | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| EV models | 4.5 m/KWh | A | 4.5 – 4.5 m/KWh | A – A |
We only have limited running cost data on the Leapmotor T03 at the moment, as it’s still a very new model. We do know that the electrical efficiency (the EV equivalent of fuel economy on a petrol or diesel car) is very good, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.
As soon as we have verified data on insurance group ratings and servicing costs, we’ll update this information accordingly.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
The Leapmotor T03 is a brand-new model, so we don’t have enough reliability data to generate a reliability rating.
The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using workshop and extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy, sourced from both official dealerships and independent workshops.
As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the T03, we’ll publish the results here.
Recalls
Official DVSA safety recalls that have been issued for the Leapmotor T03
As of May 2025, we are not aware of any DVSA vehicle safety recalls affecting the Leapmotor T03. However, this information is updated very regularly so this may have changed.
You can check to see if your car has any outstanding recalls by visiting the DVLA website or contacting your local Leapmotor dealer.
Similar cars
If you’re looking at the Leapmotor T03, you might also be interested in these alternatives.
Citroën ë-C3 | Dacia Spring | Fiat 500e | GWM Ora 03 | Peugeot e-208 | Renault 5 | Vauxhall Corsa Electric
The city car market has been declining for several years as car manufacturers have struggled to design and manufacture small cars down to the price point required to be profitable. However, we are seeing a few electric city cars entering the market, like the Leapmotor T03 shown here and the Dacia Spring. Other small EVs are larger and/or more expensive.
More information
More news, reviews and information about Leapmotor at The Car Expert
Buy a Leapmotor T03
If you’re looking to buy a new or used Leapmotor T03, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find the right car.
Find your next used car with Motors. Find out more
Find your next new or used car with Auto Trader. Find out more
Find your next new or used car with Carwow. Find out more
Lease a Leapmotor T03
If you’re looking to lease a new Leapmotor T03, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find a competitive deal.
Personal contract hire deals from Leasing.com. Find out more
Personal contract hire deals from Carparison Leasing. Find out more
Personal contract hire deals from Select Car Leasing. Find out more
Subscribe to a Leapmotor T03
If you’re interested in a car subscription, The Car Expert’s partners can help. (PS: What’s a car subscription?)
Subscriptions are becoming a very popular way for consumers to try an electric car for a few weeks or months to help decide whether it’s a suitable alternative to a petrol car. If you’re interested in a car subscription, The Car Expert’s partners can help. (PS: What’s a car subscription?)
Car subscriptions from SelfDrive.
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Car subscriptions from DriveFuze.
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Car subscriptions from Cocoon.
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