Japan in the 70s and 80s. Korea in the 2000s and 2010.
Asian nations and automakers like Toyota and Hyundai, among countless others, have proven time and time again that they have what it takes to compete and win against the best from the world. Europe and America.
Not only in the sheer volume of sales at the more affordable end of the market, but also in quality areas such as design, technology, innovation and reliability.
With a much larger order of resources and talent, there is nothing to say that the Chinese auto industry cannot follow the same precedent, and expand to create more globally recognized companies. demand for world-class vehicles.
The previous articles in this series looked at Nio and Human horizonTwo Chinese electric vehicle startups could become potential disruptors in the future.
Xpeng is another domestic fast mover with big ambitions to be a key player in the EV space.
Company Overview
Xpeng Motors was founded in 2015 in Guangzhou by Xiaopeng He, Heng Xia and Tao He.
Heng and Tao previously had experience as executives at the Chinese automaker’s GAC Group (perhaps best known in the world for its Trumpchi brand and joint venture with Honda), while Xiaopeng was first. This has worked at the giant e-commerce group Alibaba.
Since then, the company has grown rapidly and is publicly listed on both the NYSE and Hong Kong stock exchanges.
Its current market capitalization of $31.83 billion makes it larger than established automakers such as Mazda, Suzuki and Subaru, and far ahead of Hyundai, which has a market capitalization current market is $35.25 billion.
Xpeng claims to have delivered a total of 98,155 vehicles in 2021, impressive not only because of the semiconductor shortages affecting the broader auto industry, but also because their first vehicle was delivered last month. December 2018, just three years ago.
Mass production while maintaining quality is arguably the most difficult challenge for any start-up, and in China, many new companies choose to collaborate or subcontract production to a single company. company is older.
While Xpeng initially followed this approach, the company recently received a manufacturing license from the Chinese government and now operates its own factory in the city of Zhaoqing.
Interestingly, the company has also begun construction of a second factory in Guangzhou (near Hong Kong) and has announced plans for a third facility in Wuhan. The startup claims that the completion of the second plant (expected by the end of 2022) will help it double its annual production capacity to a maximum of 200,000 vehicles.
Internationally, the company maintains a presence in Silicon Valley with offices in Mountain View, California, and recently began exporting models for sale in Norway, with plans to expand to other locations. other European markets in 2022.
Product line models and innovations
Xpeng currently has three models on sale, of which a fourth has been announced and is expected to begin production later this year.
The brand’s first vehicle, the G3 compact SUV, debuted at the end of 2018 and was dubbed the ‘ultra-long range intelligent SUV’. An upgraded model, known by the moniker ‘G3i’, was revealed in the second half of 2021.
This latest model is available with 57kWh and 66kWh NMC (nickel manganese cobalt) batteries, as well as a slightly smaller 55kWh LFP (lithium iron phosphate) battery.
Both the LFP and NMC batteries have a range of 460km, while the larger battery offers a range of 520km, following the very optimistic NEDC cycle. All battery options are paired with a front-mounted motor that produces 145kW of power and 300Nm of torque.
With technology at the heart of the brand, the vehicle’s infotainment system is powered by a smartphone-style Qualcomm Snapdragon 820A processor.
Following the G3, Xpeng then launched the Mercedes-Benz E-Class P7 full-size sedan, with deliveries to the Chinese market to begin in June 2020.
As a more premium offering, the P7’s sleek styling hides a rear AWD or dual-motor setup, providing a maximum NEDC range of 706 km and output of 316kW in the performance versions.
Perhaps more interestingly, the P7 uses the powerful Nvidia Drive Xavier processor to power the advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) and has a framework developed with ‘German team of sports car engineers’ to improve the handling and performance of the adaptive suspension.
More recently, the company unveiled a smaller, but more premium sedan, called the P5. Arguably the standout feature of this vehicle is that it uses two built-in lidar sensors as part of the radar and other ultrasonic sensors, and the camera, which forms part of the ADAS ‘Xpilot 3.5’ system .
Xpeng claims that dual lidar sensors, located on both front wings, provide highly accurate recognition of road objects, such as vehicles and pedestrians, in all weather conditions including including snow and fog.
Tesla may have ‘Camp Mode’ and Netflix available through its infotainment system, but Xpeng claims that the P5 will be available with an optional projector and drop-down projection screen, along with an air mattress , to provide the ultimate in-car cinema and camping experience.
However, to go into mass production, Xpeng’s latest model is the large SUV G9, available with 7 seats. It is the startup’s first model designed from the ground up with global sales in mind and is expected to meet European safety and regulatory standards.
Xpeng claims the G9’s 800-volt electrical architecture can support DC charging at up to 480kW.
This surpasses the 350kW offered by models such as the Porsche Taycan and Hyundai Ioniq 5, and allows it to achieve a range of 200 km in just 5 minutes when connected to a suitable DC fast charging station.
The car is 5G-enabled and builds on the P5’s driver-assist features, which similarly include dual flap units that are neatly integrated into the headlights.
Australia’s plan
Launched in Norway, Xpeng is aiming to penetrate left-hand drive EU markets such as Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands throughout 2022 with models such as the P7 and G9 SUVs described above.
The company has plans to expand globally, but has not given any specific schedule for the sale of models in right-handed countries such as the UK and Australia. But, it’s a young brand with big ambitions…
THAN: Brand overview, Nio
THAN: Brand Overview, China’s Human Horizon, aka HiPhi
