EV start-up Xpeng steps up overseas expansion, launching new models in Europe as China guns for Japan’s crown as biggest car exporter

Name: Chinese XPeng electric car can drive and park by itself
Uploaded: 2023-02-03T12:30:12.000Z
Duration: 2 min 18 s
Description: Chinese XPeng electric car can drive and park by itself

The Guangzhou-based company said its G9 SUV and new P7 sports sedan are now available for order in Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and Sweden

Surging shipments buoyed by the growing technical heft of its electric carmakers could soon see China unseat Japan as the world’s largest car exporter

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The G9, starting from US$49,740 in Norway, needs just five minutes of ultra-fast charging for a driving range of 300 kilometres, Xpeng claims. Photo: Xpeng

Daniel Renin Shanghai

Published: 8:30pm, 3 Feb 2023

Electric vehicle (EV) start-up Xpeng has stepped up its overseas expansion by launching two more models in Europe, as mainland Chinese carmakers mount a challenge against established players, buoyed by their growing manufacturing and technological clout.

The Guangzhou-based company said in a statement that its G9 sport-utility vehicle (SUV) and new P7 sports sedan would be available for order in Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and Sweden from Friday.

“Today represents a significant milestone as we build our presence in Europe. We believe both vehicles deliver a new level of sophistication and a people-first mobility experience, and will be the electric vehicles of choice for many European customers,” Xpeng president Brian Gu said in the statement.

It is the fourth time Xpeng has offered its new cars for sale in Europe since it started exporting the G3 SUV to Norway in December of 2020.

“It is the latest sign that Chinese carmakers are increasingly setting their sights on international markets,” said Chen Xiao, CEO of Shanghai Yacheng Culture, a marketing and branding company. “Electric-car makers like Xpeng will need some time to enhance brand awareness outside China. They are not chasing high-sales volume yet.”

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Chinese XPeng electric car can drive and park by itself

Xpeng, backed by e-commerce giant Alibaba, which owns this newspaper, and smartphone vendor Xiaomi, began delivering the G9 to mainland China customers in October. It has so far handed over 8,622 of the SUVs, according to data compiled by Shanghai-based electric-vehicle news site CnEVPost.