4 days ago
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Leapmotor's first vehicle in Australia won't come with key infotainment functionality – and it won't be added for some time yet.
Electric Cars
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring are among Australia’s most popular new-car features – but this handy technology is absent from the new Leapmotor C10 mid-size SUV’s spec list and it won’t be added anytime soon.
Leapmotor International’s head of product and marketing, Francesco Giacalone, says that despite supporting over-the-air updates, there are no plans to introduce Apple CarPlay or Android Auto with the current-generation Leapmotor C10as the car's technical hardware can't support it.
“As of now, C10 is coming with no Android [Auto] and Apple CarPlay functionality, as such,” Giacalone told Australian media at the local launch of the model.
The C10 was the first Leapmotor model to be developed for worldwide markets beyond China, but subsequent models such as the Leapmotor B10 small SUV come with a newer Leapmotor 3.5 architecture that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
However, the older technology platform underpinning the C10 medium SUV won’t – and can’t – be updated.
“With the B10 [small electric SUV], we are introducing the 3.5 operating system with a new electronic architecture and B10 will have Android and Apple CarPlay,” said Giacalone.
Leapmotor points towards an in-car application called QDLink as a stop-gap solution. This app mirrors a smartphone’s physical display on the car’s infotainment screen.
“We have one solution… the QDLink, which is an application that mirrors the smartphone in the car. [So this] solution will mirror [functions like] Google Maps while keeping the Bluetooth functionalities alive for phone calls and other activities in the car,” said Giacalone.
As popular as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are in Australia, Giacalone states the lack of this capability hasn’t slowed sales of the Leapmotor C10 in Europe.
“The consumers which are jumping on C10 are happy with the functionality of the car,” said Giacalone.
“What we’ve discovered in terms of [customers’] willingness to use [Apple] CarPlay and Android Auto – it's super relevant for [internal combustion engine] vehicles.
“But maps, for instance, do not always have the functionality that the [electric] customers really want; which is how far can I drive with the [charge] I have left in the battery.”
Only certain cars with Google built-in, such as the Volvo EX30, can recommend electric car charging stations with respect to battery status.
Meanwhile, the Leapmotor's integrated satellite navigation comes with charging station suggestions based on the remaining driving range.
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Tom started out in the automotive industry by exploiting his photographic skills but quickly learned journalists got the better end of the deal. With tenures at CarAdvice, Wheels Media, and now Drive, Tom's breadth of experience and industry knowledge informs a strong opinion on all things automotive. At Drive, Tom covers automotive news, car reviews, advice, and holds a special interest in long-form feature stories.
