Leapmotor has used its 2026 Tech Day to unveil a new vehicle architecture and three core technologies, as the Chinese electric-vehicle maker pushes into plug-in hybrids and artificial-intelligence-assisted driving. According to Sina Auto, the event, held under the theme of "confidence," showcased the company's LEAP 5.0 architecture, a world-model-based driver assistance system, a multi-mode hybrid drive unit, and a battery pack that integrates low-voltage functions.
LEAP 5.0: more space, new electronics
The LEAP 5.0 architecture combines a new physical platform with a centralised electronic control system. Leapmotor says the platform expands cabin space in all three dimensions, targeting a "usable space ratio" of over 100%. The front cabin gains about 700mm of extra length, front-row legroom is up 37.5%, and headroom is increased by 63.7% thanks to a lower floor and an integrated pop-up roof, creating what the company calls a "Loft" space.
On the electronics side, the "Four-Leaf Clover 5.0" architecture uses a full-vehicle 48V electrical system, which Leapmotor says cuts wiring weight by 50%, and a 10G/100M asymmetric Ethernet network. The company claims it is the first in the industry to launch an electronic architecture based on 48V power and 10-gigabit Ethernet. An on-board and cloud-based "AgentOS" system handles low-latency tasks locally and complex reasoning in the cloud.
World-model ADAS and hybrid drive
Leapmotor's new driver assistance system, called LWM, is based on a world model rather than traditional BEV (battery-electric) perception or rule-based code. The system runs on computing power of 200 TOPS, 640 TOPS or 1280 TOPS, with lidar kept as a safety redundancy. The company says the cloud-based world model enables fleet-level collaborative learning, and that rules are used only for traffic-light compliance, cutting code volume by 90%. Leapmotor promised to upgrade its roughly 350,000 lidar-equipped vehicles to the new system for free, with lifetime free use for all lidar owners.
Leapmotor also formally entered the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) segment with its MM-i multi-mode hybrid drive unit. The system uses a generator that can also drive the wheels, a coaxial dual-clutch layout, and intelligent dual-motor control. Peak power is 206kW, 28% higher than rivals, while the unit weighs 106kg, 40% lighter, and is 25% smaller, according to the company. It supports four operating modes and nine sub-modes, with shift time cut from 400ms to 150ms. Leapmotor now offers BEV, range-extender (EREV) and PHEV powertrains across A0 to D-class vehicles.
CTC 3.0 battery, open-source patents
The third technology is the CTC 3.0 high/low-voltage integrated battery, which eliminates the separate 12V starter battery used for decades. Leapmotor says the integrated pack boosts low-voltage battery capacity sevenfold, requires no maintenance, and saves owners over 2,000 yuan (about $282) in service costs. The first owner gets a lifetime battery warranty, and the company said it would open-source the related patents to the entire industry.
Leapmotor says it has installed more than one million CTC battery packs across three generations. The company also discussed progress on embodied AI robots but showed no physical prototype. Founder Zhu Jiangming was quoted as saying that "a robot that can be walked is not a skill; a robot that can make money is what counts." Leapmotor said it is still exploring a commercially viable application.
Financially, Leapmotor reported a net profit of 210 million yuan (about $29.6 million) in the first half of 2026, its third consecutive profitable half-year. It delivered 103,129 vehicles in August 2026, ranking third among Chinese new-energy brands and fourth globally. The company says it controls 65% of vehicle cost, operates 18 parts plants, and has a platform commonality rate of 90%. It also supplies technology to FAW and Stellantis, and says external technology sales are becoming a second growth engine. A new product from Leapmotor's second brand is due in 2027.
