New LEVC L380: electric MPV luxury from the makers of London's black cab

Chinese-owned British firm LEVC (known as London Electric Vehicle Company) has revealed its latest vehicle, a big all-electric eight-seat people carrier with a focus on luxury but also practicality.  

Recently, we’ve seen big announcements on upcoming new electric vehicle platforms including the likes of BMW’s Neue Klasse and VW Group’s SSP architecture. Chinese giant Geely has it’s own apparently groundbreaking tech in the shape of its Space Oriented Architecture. The LEVC L380 is the first vehicle to receive the new SOA technology which LEVC says offers “advances in range, efficiency, safety, charging time, durability, and connectivity”.  

It won’t be the last either as LEVC also says the L380 will be the first in a new range of models to use the Geely tech. LEVC claims that SOA allows for up to 431 miles of range on a single charge and there’s also scope to choose between 73kWh and 120kWh batteries for the platform as well as a choice of rear, front and four-wheel drive. We imagine the L380 will be based around a larger battery given its long wheelbase, although the inherently inefficient aerodynamic nature of its MPV body will mean it won’t reach that maximum range figure. 

Only one image has been shown thus far of the L380. It’s certainly a different design to that of the retro-inspired LEVC TX, with a full-width light bar and smooth front end. It’s notable how far forward the windscreen sits, which should aid visibility, plus there are flush-fitting door handles. The rear side doors are sliding ones, too, in typical MPV fashion. 

LEVC says the L380 will be launched in China in 2024 and then will arrive in “additional markets” - which we expect to include the UK. Pricing hasn’t been revealed, but the vehicle should rival the likes of the Volvo EM90 and Lexus LM in the premium MPV market.

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