Leapmotor B05 Hatch Eyes Petrol Range-Extender — What It Means for WA

The Leapmotor B05 is already shaping up as one of the more interesting small EVs heading to Australia — compact, European-tuned, and priced to compete. Now there's a question worth watching: could it eventually follow the B10 and C10 SUVs and gain a petrol range-extender powertrain?

For WA drivers eyeing longer runs — whether it's the stretch from Perth to Albany, Geraldton, or anywhere beyond mobile coverage — that question matters more than it does in most other states.

What Leapmotor Is Actually Saying

At the international media launch of the B05 in Germany, Leapmotor International's head of commercial operations for Europe, Danilo Annese, confirmed a range-extender or hybrid variant is under internal discussion — but stopped well short of a commitment.

"Is there a demand? To be honest, we are discussing it. I don't know if there is," he said.

The engineering challenge is real. The B05 shares its chassis with the B10 SUV, but the hatchback's shorter front end makes fitting a combustion engine tighter. Leapmotor's Chinese R&D team initially flagged packaging as a barrier, though Annese said the conversation has since reopened.

"I do not exclude this," he noted — careful, non-committal language that suggests it's possible but far from locked in. Any decision will ultimately come down to whether there's a strong enough commercial case.

How the Range-Extender Tech Already Works in Australia

Leapmotor's existing "Hybrid EV" models give a clear picture of what this powertrain looks like in practice. The B10 Hybrid EV — already on sale in Australia from $37,888 before on-road costs — uses a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine purely as a generator. It never drives the wheels directly. Instead, it tops up the 18.8kWh battery to keep the electric motors doing all the work.

The result: 84km of pure electric range and a claimed combined range of 900km. For Perth metro commuters, the daily drive stays fully electric. For a run up to Exmouth or across the Nullarbor, the petrol generator takes the anxiety out of it.

The larger C10 SUV runs the same setup and is also available locally.

What the B05 EV Already Offers

For now, the B05 is confirmed for Australia as a pure battery-electric vehicle, arriving in the second half of 2026. Australian pricing hasn't been locked in yet.

The international lineup offers two battery options: a 56.2kWh pack with up to 401km of WLTP range, and a 67.1kWh pack with up to 482km. The higher-spec Design variant runs a rear-mounted 160kW/240Nm motor, with a 0–100km/h claim of 6.7 seconds and DC fast charging at up to 168kW — meaning a 30–80 per cent charge in around 17 minutes.

The car was co-developed with Stellantis' global chassis team and specifically tuned for European road expectations, which bodes well for WA's mix of urban freeway driving and long regional highways.

On pure EV specs alone, the B05 looks competitive for Perth city use. But if Leapmotor can eventually package in a range-extender — even if it's tight — WA buyers with one eye on regional travel will have a genuinely compelling option in the small hatch segment. Keep watching this one.