STOCKHOLM — Chinese language electric-car maker Xpeng is repositioning itself as a premium model because it rolls out bigger, costlier fashions in its preliminary European markets whereas dropping some smaller automobiles.
The Tesla rival launched in Norway in 2020 with the G3 compact SUV, which was renamed the G3i after a face-lift. The automaker had deliberate to comply with the G3 with the P5 midsize sedan and the bigger P7 sedan because it expanded in Europe final 12 months to the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark.
Xpeng has now slimmed its vary for European markets outdoors Norway, dropping the P5 and launching the brand new G9 giant SUV, together with a revised model of the P7.
Each fashions straddle the midsize and huge segments by way of dimension.
“We began with an easy-to-approach technique however now we are attempting to essentially improve,” Jiaxi You, Director for product and advertising and marketing abroad, instructed Automotive Information Europe at an occasion right here to introduce the G9 and revised P7. “We’ve introduced two flagships and that’s intentional.”
Gross sales of the G9 began in China in October. It’s the model’s most superior full-electric automotive, including an 800-volt structure that will increase charging pace to a most 300 kilowatts, sooner than Porsche Taycan.
The automotive is priced from 59,990 euros within the Netherlands for a model with 78 kilowatt hour LFP battery with a 460 km (286 miles) driving vary as measured on the WLTP cycle.
A model with a claimed 570 km vary and a extra power dense 98 kWh nickel-based NCM battery chemistry prices from 61,990 euros.
The P5 sedan has been retired after a short-lived stint on sale within the Netherlands and different markets.
“We determined it could make extra sense to make use of our assets to concentrate on automobiles that might be impactful for the European market,” stated Martin Stegelmeier, Xpeng’s head of product planning for Europe. “A smaller sedan isn’t the physique sort of the long run in Europe by way of perceived worth.”
SUVs, hatchbacks and wagons are extra appreciated by European clients, Stegelmeier stated.
“Wagons are nonetheless wanted in Europe. That’s one thing for Xpeng to discover,” he stated.
The P5 and the G3 use the identical platform, which is due to get replaced this 12 months with an 800-volt structure first seen on the brand new G3. The model is contemplating bringing the automotive to Europe, Stegelmeier stated.
Xpeng is positioning itself as a know-how chief with options equivalent to a triple display screen on the G9, together with one dealing with the passenger.
The corporate additionally touts the talents of the Xpilot suite of driver help options, helped by 29 sensors.
The G9 makes use of the Nvidia Orin X chip to energy its Xpilot, whereas the digital cockpit is pushed by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8155 chip, the identical as that utilized by Volvo’s new EX90 electrical SUV.
The brand new P7 has an electrical tailgate and soft-closing doorways. Each can be found in all-wheel-drive or rear-wheel-drive variants.
“We imagine each merchandise ship a brand new degree of sophistication and a human-centric driving expertise and would be the electrical autos of alternative for a lot of European drivers,” Brian Gu, Xpeng vice chairman and president, stated in a press release.
Xpeng stated its newly introduced European pricing for the P7 and G9 had not been influenced by Tesla’s current worth cuts in Europe, regardless of the Chinese language firm lowering the costs of its automobiles in its dwelling nation.
The P7 begins from 49,990 euros within the Netherlands, above the 45,970 euros Tesla expenses for the entry model of the smaller Mannequin 3 in the identical market. The value of the entry P7 is much like that of the sticker worth of the smaller P5 earlier than Xpeng axed it.
The automaker operates a direct gross sales mannequin in its European markets paying dealer-group companions an ‘company’ payment for every sale. The corporate can also be ramping up its on-line gross sales operation.