Xpeng is not just another EV story - it has global ambitions

06 August 2023

It seems like everyone's trying to conquer the world, and in the EV world, Xpeng wants a slice of that pie too. Not just in its home country of China but literally everywhere. Well, not everywhere, but you get the idea.

Xpeng CEO, He Xiaopeng, casually dropped in a chat with CGTN that the company's got its eyes on "dozens of countries" come next year. It's not just targeting any countries, but primarily developed ones. Bold move? Absolutely. But what do you expect from someone who clearly states they don't want to build a China-only company?

Remember, this isn't Xpeng's first international rodeo. The P7 and G9 are making slow progress in a few European nations already. And, oh, Israel? Xpeng is entering that arena too. In fact, the latter half of 2023 is tagged as the '2.0' of Xpeng's international expansion. So, if you were hoping to see more of Xpeng's EVs cruising your streets, 2024 might just be your year. Besides the aforementioned P7 and G9, the shiny new G6 SUV will also be joining the international club.

Yes, Xpeng does have ambitions. Not content with just shipping cars abroad, Mr. He (CEO of Xpeng) is on a mission to showcase the "best self-driving experience in China" to the global market by 2025. His vision? Not to play the cost card. Nope. He's dreaming bigger - offering the world a fresh, tech-centric product. And why not? After all, he believes China is ace at fusing top-notch hardware with software.

Here's an interesting fact: On a seemingly ordinary day, July 26 to be precise, Volkswagen (you've heard of them, right?) declared its intent to pour $700 million into Xpeng. The goal? Co-develop EVs. Well, with friends like those, who needs... more friends?

Mr. He sees this Volkswagen handshake as a turbo-boost for Xpeng's international ambitions. Faster, more efficient overseas penetration is the endgame. And why? Because, in his words, "just becoming bigger is not really strong."

For those with memory fog, Xpeng had a European fling last year. They allowed pre-orders of the P5 sedan in countries like Denmark and Norway. But, plot twist: They put a pin in those plans, shifting their gaze to the P7 sedan instead. For the time being, Europe had to wait a bit more.

Let's not kid ourselves. Xpeng has had its ups and downs. After a slump, they're bouncing back, and the G6 is its new star player. Just in its launch month, the G6, which stands toe-to-toe with Tesla's Model Y, recorded delivery of over 3,900 units. That's not chump change. With strong sales figures like these, Xpeng's future seems to be rosy.

It's evident that Xpeng doesn't want to be just another EV maker. It's got dreams, strategies, and now, apparently, a global roadmap. Let's see how this plays out, but one thing's for sure: the EV landscape is anything but dull, even on Sunday afternoon.

Via