Make no mistake: this is a huge vehicle.
Ever since cars became a part of our lives, it seems there has been a quest to make them bigger.
Related: Why this former automaker is slowly moving toward electric vehicles
Large vehicles, of course, are more spacious, offering more comfort and legroom. And they also provide better protection. In case of an accident.
Geely's LEVC L380 electric minivan presented in China https://t.co/1MUBA50w5w
– Khairul Shukeri (@khairulshukeri) December 10, 2023
But there are also the not-so-subtle vibes that owning a large vehicle sends to other drivers who express wealth, power, status, and get out of my way.
Think of vehicles like General Motors. (GM) – Get a free report GMC Hummer or the Rolls-Royce (BMWAA) – Get a free report Phantom or, if you want to go completely crazy, “The American Dream”, a 100-foot super limousine that holds the Guinness World Record for the longest car in the world.
The latter might be a bit extreme. So let's take a look at the London EV Company Ltd., L380, a van so big it answers the question “what do you get if you clip the wings off an Airbus?” (EASY) – Get a free report A380?”
In fact, the L380 is said to have been inspired by the largest and most spacious aircraft in the world.
Single motor power
LEVC, the company responsible for the electric conversion of London's famous black taxis, was founded in 1919 and acquired by Chinese automotive firm Geely in 2012.
Chinese media outlets have released images of the L380, and while it's not an American dream, it's pretty impressive.
Want some stats? Well, here you go:
The LEVC L380, a multipurpose vehicle, measures 209.3 inches long, 78.7 inches wide and 1,940 76.4 inches tall, with a wheelbase of 125.4 inches and a curb weight of 6,184 pounds.
In comparison, Telsa (TSLA) – Get a free report The newly launched Cybertruck is 95 inches wide, 223.7 inches long, and 70.5 inches tall.
Minivans are designed to transport passengers on regular trips. They have modern square designs that also provide ample storage capacity and overall comfort for passengers.
The L380 will be available in six- or eight-seat configurations, the latter arranged in a four-row layout, depending on CarNewsChina.com.
The L380 is underpinned by LEVC's new Space Oriented Architecture (SOA), which is a reworked version of Geely's SEA platform. Power will reportedly come from a single electric motor producing 268 hp.
Popular minivans in China
Power will be derived from a nickel-cobalt-manganate (NMC) battery pack, manufactured in China by the CATL-Geely joint venture.
Capacity is unknown, but the SOA platform supports batteries between 73 and 120 kWh, which have a maximum range of 432 miles.
The L380 will be manufactured in Zhejiang at the plant of LEVC New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd., where LEVC TX is assembled.
Among its rivals in the Chinese market are the Zeekr 009 and Volvo. (VLVOF) – Get a free report EM90 twins, which are also owned by Geely, and other similarly sized minivans like the Li. (LAAF) – Get a free report Mega, Denza D9, Xpeng (XPEV) – Get a free report X9 and Maxus Mifa 9.
Minivans are said to be quite popular in China, as they Motor1.com As noted in October, many new luxury MPVs debuted in China.
Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Vehicle Association, said Chinese Newspaper last year that the minivan trend is driven by the fact that Chinese families now have more children and spend more time traveling.
The main selling points of MPVs are space and comfort, so buyers would like to upgrade to premium vehicles.
“There is greater potential considering the fact that we have larger families in China,” he said.
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