Leapmotor International, which has Stellantis as a 51% shareholder, will be making its debut in Malaysia in October. As a prelude to the launch and to introduce its first model, the fully electric C10, Stellantis Malaysia held a 24-hour Challenge over the weekend at Plaza Arkadia in Desa Park City on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.
The Leapmotor event, livestreamed on YouTube, involved three KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) – popular influencers Iman Kamil, Shawn Lee and Jayce Tay (aka muachiiii on Instagram), who were challenged to spend 24 hours in the C10. Yes… 24 hours inside a SUV (each in a separate vehicle, not in close proximity in a single one) which started from 10 am on Saturday and ended at 10 am the next day.
At the end of the event, there was still a winner because the trio had to take part in various activities and a sort of ‘treasure hunt’ around the cabin. The activities varied from guessing the amount of storage spaces, finding ways to remove unwanted scents inside the cabin, a musical charade session, using the 360-degree camera to locate hidden items, and an interior decoration competition. For each activity or challenge, they were awarded points.
Toilet breaks and makan
You may wonder about certain important things like going to the toilet and makan. Well, Stellantis Malaysia was not so strict on those things as it was not so much an endurance event but just to show that the C10 (length 4739 mm, width 1900 mm) has a cabin that is so comfortable, you can camp in it. In fact, with the C10, you might not even need to stay at a hotel as the seats fold flat to form beds – great for going to the beach.
They were allowed up to 6 times to leave the car and go to the toilet and food was also provided. Their fans also turned up to support them and like those online, gave them encouragement. Some even brought snacks and powerbanks which they were allowed to receive.
Being inside a cabin (even if the windows can be opened) can be a bit stuffy and become uncomfortable. The C10, being fully electric, could have its air-conditioner running all the time and besides being silent, it also generated no harmful emissions in the building.
Only 30% of battery pack used
The C10’s battery pack has a capacity of 69.9 kWh and if used to move the SUV, it can provide a range claimed to be up to 420 kms. Since it was not moving, all the energy could be used to power the air-conditioner and other accessories like the infotainment system. According to Stellantis Malaysia, only 30% had been used up after 24 hours,
At the end of the 24 hours, Iman collected 160 points to be the winner followed by Shawn and Muachi. As the winner, Iman will be able to use a C10 for 3 months so his fans should expect to hear more about it.
Similar endurance events
The event brings back memories of two other endurance events by car companies. 20 years ago, Ford Malaysia had an event that also required participants to remain inside a Ranger for as long as possible (with toilet breaks, of course) so that was gruelling. And internet connectivity wasn’t like it is today where you can be entertained and chat online.
Then there was the long-running Subaru Palm Challenge in Malaysia and Singapore which had participants place one hand on a car and keep it there for as long as possible. That was even tougher because they stood outside the car – in the sun and rain!