Xpeng, yet another gigantic Chinese brand of which few on these shores will have heard, has already announced plans for a flying car, and cars which use artificial intelligence. Don’t get too excited yet though, as so far the only Xpeng (pronounced Shao-Peng) model confirmed for the Irish car market is a fairly conventional G6 SUV.
Motor Distributors Limited (MDL), the long-time importer of Mercedes-Benz cars and commercial vehicles for Ireland (and more recently the Smart and BYD brands too) has announced that it will begin to import Xpeng’s cars here.
The first Xpeng model to arrive on these shores will be that G6 SUV. It’s a Tesla Model Y-sized car, with a choice of lithium-iron phosphate or lithium-ion batteries, and ranges of between 435km and 570km depending on which model you choose.
Possibly just as importantly, Xpeng’s G6 is exceptionally fast to charge, using a Porsche-style 800-volt charging system to inhale between 200kW and 280kW of DC fast-charging power, again depending on which model you pick.
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The G6 is part of a fast-expanding line-up of Xpeng models which include two saloons – the compact P5 and the larger P7 – a big MPV (the X9) and SUVs both larger and smaller. MDL hasn’t yet confirmed which other Xpeng models are earmarked for Ireland – although it has specifically mentioned the P7 saloon – but has said that right-hand drive production of all Xpeng cars is under consideration.
Pricing ought to be sharp. In most European markets where Xpeng has already arrived, the G6 is generally priced a few thousand Euro cheaper than an equivalent Tesla Model Y. Of course, the application of the EU’s new Chinese electric car tariffs may well up-end that particular apple-cart.
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Xpeng’s tariff rate could be as high as 45 per cent (plus the regular 10 per cent EU import tariff), and the company’s vice-chair and co-president Brian Gu recently told CNBC that while such tariffs put a lot of pressure on Xpeng, the company has a “long-term focus on Europe” and is aiming to “find every possible way to address and make ourselves competitive”.
That could include a European manufacturing site, but there has also been some thawing of relations between the EU and China in recent weeks, with talk of a way forward being found to strike a peace in the mini trade war over electric cars.
MDL chief executive Paddy Finnegan said: “The Xpeng portfolio of models which we will offer to Irish motorists and their dealers – whom we have yet to fully appoint – is one that MDL will be proud to represent.
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“Offering, as it does, another excellent example of Chinese all-electric drive construction and technology, and of its build quality within a high-class design complete with sleek interior styling attractive to the eyes of European motorists, the current Xpeng range – plus those many models yet to be developed – will constitute an exciting choice of options for buyers and dealers seeking something new and climate-friendly in the field of personal transportation.”
Mr Gu said: “Our partnership with Motor Distributors Limited marks an important step in Xpeng’s global expansion. We are excited to introduce Irish consumers to a new standard in electric mobility, combining innovative technology with exceptional design to deliver an unparalleled experience that meets the demands of today’s drivers. With a vision for AI-defined mobility, we aim to revolutionise the driving experience in Ireland, making it safer, smarter, more sustainable and more pleasant in the near future.”
MDL has not yet confirmed which, if any, of its current franchised dealers will sell Xpeng in Ireland. Clearly, there might be competitive issues with BYD, and it seems likely that new dealers from outside of the existing family will be recruited.
So far, MDL has officially said: “An immediate task being undertaken by MDL is to expand its dealer network sufficient to ensure that effective representation and competition exists between all of the brands the company now represents, and to that end, the company will have conversations with dealers with whom it has worked with in the past and others that would be new to the organisation.”
Don’t go expecting flying cars just yet, although Xpeng does say that it has already begun the construction of a new factory in which it plans to build a two-element flying car. It’s not a car with wings, though – rather, Xpeng’s design consists of a large three-axle van-like vehicle into which a four-rotor drone/helicopter hybrid slots, and from which the airborne part can take off and into which it lands, using automated flying controls. The planned annual production is set at 10,000, and Xpeng is said to have already received 3,000 orders.
And AI? Well, Xpeng’s chairperson, He Xiaopeng, has previously said that he sees it as potentially difficult to sell cars which don’t have in-built artificial intelligence and a strong element of self-driving by as soon as 2025.
The new G6 SUV doesn’t really have either of those, and nor can it fly – but it will be on sale in Ireland in 2025.
