Chinese language automobile maker Xpeng has confirmed its entry into the UK market. Xpeng’s first automobiles will go on sale in time for the brand new 25 registration plate in March subsequent 12 months.

Based in 2014, Xpeng is led by the charismatic CEO He Xiaopeng. The model is being imported by Worldwide Motors (IM Group), which additionally sells Subaru, Isuzu and fellow Chinese language model GWM (Nice Wall Motors) by its UK vendor community.

Talking completely to The Unbiased, IM Group managing director William Brown stated “the plan is that we’ll launch the primary mannequin in March subsequent 12 months, which is the G6.”

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The G6, a crossover rival to the Tesla Mannequin Y, is already on sale in Europe and options a sophisticated 800V platform for quick charging, 66kWh or 87.5kWh batteries for a most vary of 354 miles, a 15-inch infotainment and 10-inch driver show, Xpeng’s superior driver help techniques and a excessive stage of normal package.

We drove the Xpeng G6 as a part of the judging course of for German Automobile of the 12 months again in June 2023, coming away impressed by the thoughtfulness and high quality of the inside, the easy-to-drive nature of the electrical powertrain, the consolation of the journey high quality and the area on provide – particularly the large 571 litre boot. We described it as ‘like a Tesla Mannequin Y with the advantage of hindsight’.

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“The G6 would be the first mannequin we launch after which we’re working with them to probably launch the X9, which is their flagship MPV,” stated Brown. “It’s at present solely on sale in China in the intervening time, however they’re doing a right-hand drive model. It’s early days, however we want to convey that to market if doable, so that can doubtless be the top of subsequent 12 months.”

That may solely be the beginning, Brown revealed. “In complete we may have 5 fashions throughout the subsequent three years. So the subsequent one on the desk after the X9 might be the G9. The G9 is already on sale in Europe as left hand drive. It’s an enormous saloon.

“[Xpeng] is planning a reasonably main replace to that automobile, and at the moment they’ll make it right into a proper hand drive by-product. In order that needs to be out there sooner or later in 2026. Transferring ahead from there, there’s probably discuss of one other mannequin in 2026, which I haven’t acquired the small print of but, then an additional mannequin in 2027. I feel they’ll be SUVs or crossovers.”

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Xpeng describes the X9 as “the starship of tomorrow” and Brown desires to recategorise it as one thing aside from an MPV. “The X9 is extra of a cross between an MPV and an SUV,” he says. “It’s a seven seater, but it surely’s acquired a extremely ingenious seat system within the again. It’s both a four-seater or a seven-seater and it’s acquired these very luxurious seats; two seats within the again with a therapeutic massage characteristic and the whole lot.”

The Xpeng X9 has absolutely autonomous performance in China, which Brown skilled. “I used to be within the X9 final week in China and I didn’t drive it, the automobile drove me. It was unimaginable. I’ve by no means been in a completely autonomous automobile.

“I got here out of the pinnacle workplace and acquired within the automobile, there was a lady subsequent to me and she or he stated we had been going to do a loop again to the workplace. She put the navigation in, the automobile drove itself out onto the street and navigated the visitors all by itself. She didn’t have her toes on the accelerator or the brake. She had her palms flippantly on the steering wheel as required, however the automobile moved itself, indicating when wanted and even safely crossing three lanes of visitors.

“We got here to a decent nook and the automobile slowed down. I requested why the automobile was slowing and was instructed that the X9 was taking a look at different automobiles round it and anticipating that they had been going to tug out, so it slows its velocity down. It was doing the identical with cyclists.”

Xpeng sells the self-driving know-how in its automobiles, as Brown defined. “Xpeng has acquired a extremely clear story. It’s a know-how firm that builds automobiles. It’s not a automobile firm that integrates know-how.

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“The know-how is the factor that they give attention to most and the automobile is constructed across the know-how. In the event you’ve acquired a automobile and also you’ve acquired a battery in an EV, you may have a extremely nice automobile, however except the pc system or the administration system linking the 2 collectively works very well, issues begin to fall down. However as a result of Xpeng is a technology-first firm, it’s one of many few EVs that you just get into and the whole lot works like an EV ought to.

“The vary is just about what it says when it comes to WLTP, it’s sooner to cost, it’s acquired a superb vary. All of the techniques are intuitive. The automobile is on an 800V platform with 280kW quick charging speeds too, so it is going to go from 10 to 80 per cent cost in lower than 20 minutes.”

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On worth, we’d count on the Xpeng G6 to be within the area of £40,000 to £45,000. “In Europe they’ve priced it at 5 to eight per cent decrease than a Tesla Mannequin Y,” stated Brown, “And we’ll have a normal vary and a long-range mannequin.”

Xpeng automobiles might be on sale by a number of round 20 of IM Group’s established retailer community. “We’ll have a blended strategy,” says Brown. “We’ll have conventional sellers which might be very a lot retail targeted. We’ll even have sellers which might be extra used to promoting by fleets, so leasing greater finish merchandise on a month-to-month cost. We’ll be way more targeted on the web journey.”

Brown is clearly more than happy that IM Group has secured the rights to promoting Xpeng within the UK, which is already gathering fairly a following throughout the remainder of Europe. “We really feel privileged to have the chance to signify Xpeng,” he stated. “Though the entire trade is coping with EVs in the intervening time, promoting them continues to be an enormous problem. I feel Xpeng is trying on the trajectory of the EV market.

“What are the manufacturers you’d wish to have in 2030? Xpeng might be up there on the prime, as a result of it’s the place the know-how’s going. We’re actually excited that come 2030, that is going to be one of many manufacturers that everyone might be speaking about. It’s going to be fairly disruptive.”