Leapmotor C10 vs Tesla Model S (2016-2019)

The Tesla Model S costs £39,350 more than the Leapmotor C10. For that premium it adds 36 kW faster peak rapid charging, 310 litres more boot space and 123 kW more power. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Leapmotor C10 comes out ahead overall.

The Leapmotor C10 is £39,350 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £208 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the Leapmotor C10 comes out roughly £39,310 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 175 miles for the Leapmotor C10 and 198 miles for the Tesla Model S - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Tesla Model S goes roughly 23 miles further between charging stops. A rapid charge to 80% takes around 30 minutes in the Leapmotor C10 and 40 in the Tesla Model S, so the Leapmotor C10 loses less time at each stop. So the Tesla Model S stops less often while the Leapmotor C10 stops for less time - pick on which you would rather do.

The Leapmotor C10 is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 64 mm narrower than the Tesla Model S. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 500 mm of total clearance for the Leapmotor C10 and about 436 mm of total clearance for the Tesla Model S. The Leapmotor C10 also turns in a 0.6 m tighter circle, which helps with U-turns and multi-storey ramps.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 90% battery health for the Leapmotor C10 and 85% for the Tesla Model S. That gives the Leapmotor C10 a modest edge in retained real-world range. The Leapmotor C10's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the Tesla Model S's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.