Geely subsidiary LEVC starts selling L380 electric van
The L380, first presented in January, starts at 379,900 yuan (around 48,800 euros) in China. The most expensive variant costs 479,900 yuan (approx. 61,700 euros). The L380 is produced in China and is also intended for global export. LEVC plans to announce the final specifications for markets outside China in the coming months.
The electric vehicle is around 5.30 metres long and is available with either six or eight seats. The number 380 supposedly indicates the spaciousness of the model. The manufacturer recently explained that the EV will offer space “like in an Airbus A380.” According to the company, the inspiration for the L380 thus comes from the world of luxury flights: it offers flexible first-class-style chairs clad in soft, fine semi-aniline leather that can be folded down for sleeping.
“Start of sales in China for our innovative new L380 luxury MPV marks one of the most momentous occasions in LEVC’s history,” said LEVC CEO Alex Nan. “Our brand is rapidly accelerating its transition from manufacturing the world’s most advanced and iconic taxi, to becoming a leading e-mobility technology company and, with that, we are building on our place within the Geely Holding Group, maximising the Group’s research and development capabilities, global supply chain and manufacturing resources to enable us to meet our ambitious targets.”
He added: “L380 meets demand for flexible, multi-occupant, multi-purpose pure electric luxury vehicles, launching LEVC into an entirely new sector. As with all our products, L380 takes inspiration from the company’s rich history, combined with the vast resources and technical innovation of the Geely Holding Group. The start of sales sees our momentum advance, setting us on the path to bringing cutting edge zero-emission transportation to more customers than ever before.”
The L380 is the first model based on the company’s EV platform Space Oriented Architecture (SOA), which was jointly developed with Geely. The platform will be used to expand LEVC’s vehicle range beyond the L380 with new products that offer advances in range, efficiency, safety, charging time, durability and connectivity.
The SOA platform is a modified version of Geely’s SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture) platform, which has been optimised for commercial vehicles. The SEA is used in models ranging from the Smart #1 to the large Zeekr 009 and Volvo EM90 vans, which are comparable to the LEVC L380. However, the vans from Geely and Volvo are designed for the private customer market and have numerous luxury features, while LEVC is primarily aimed at fleet customers, such as transport services.
1 Comment