If you’ve ever flown on the double-decker monster that is an Airbus A380, you know just what a bizarrely special experience it is — a plane so massive, you can barely tell it’s taking off or landing (let alone that it’s cruising 35,000 feet in the air). The latest MPV (MPEV?) from Geely-owned LEVC (London Electric Vehicle Company) is inspired by that wonder of engineering, and it’s a big boy indeed. With an 8-passenger layout and a length of over 17 feet (5.3 meters, specifically), the L380 is a vehicle designed to jet get groups around in comfort.
Granted, “big” is relative if you tend to think in American scale. At 209 inches or so, it’s still shorter than a non-ESV Cadillac Escalade, but the interior layout is nothing like a jumbo-SUV. The L380 has a bizarre (again, by western standards) 2+2+2+2 seating arrangement, with the rear-most two seats folding directly down into a storage well in the trunk. Those last two seats aren’t full-height, either, and the L380 can even be configured without them at all to provide maximum storage capacity.
With a 200 kW power output, I imagine the L380 won’t be particularly speedy when fully-laden with 8 humans and their luggage, though it still tops out at an impressive (for a van!) 170 kph (106 mph) — more than enough for a spirited sprint to the airport. Because it’s branded under the LEVC badge, the L380 is clearly intended for the British market, though today’s images come courtesy of a Chinese regulatory filing (via CarNewsChina), meaning Geely could be planning to sell the MPV there as well. (That seems especially likely given the version of the L380 pictured has a left-hand drive layout, which wouldn’t be suitable for the UK.)
Despite its rather large footprint, the curb weight of 2800 kg (under 6200 lbs) is actually pretty trim. While the filings reveal NMC chemistry, we don’t know the size of the battery pack as, oddly, it’s one of the specifications OEMs needn’t disclose to this agency. We also know that the L380 will be produced in China at Geely’s Zheijiang factory.
Does the L380 truly feel “inspired” by the Airbus A380? Not really. Do I find the connection endearing nonetheless? Absolutely.