Distributor of Chinese electric vehicle (EV) brands xpeng sees global leader Tesla as one of the brand’s key rivals ahead of its Australian launch in the coming months.
They also aim to make the brand one of the top three players in the electric vehicle market in Australia one day.
Xpeng will launch in Australia in late July or early August through TrueEV, the appointed importer, distributor and local retailer.
Xpeng G6 electric SUV will be a product of this brand the first car to hit Australian showroomswith Tesla Model YThe full-sized rival will be available in showrooms from October 2024.
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Xpeng G6
Company CEO Jason Clarke said that it’s not just the Model Y that the TrueEV is aiming to compete with Car expert Tesla is one of the targets that wants to overtake the throne in the race to sell electric cars in Australia.
“Clearly the market leader is Tesla… I think when Australians think of electric vehicles, that’s all they’re currently seeing in the market,” Mr Clarke said.
“But more and more, MG and GWM, those brands are becoming more dominant. They have market share. That’s where it is [the competition] will come from there.
“Electric vehicle variants in Europe are very strong but perhaps the customer base is different.
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Xpeng X9
“If you look at Tesla’s behavior, they will reduce prices very significantly to maintain market share. That’s really our goal, whether we like it or not.
“BYD is different, it was a cheaper, lower quality vehicle, but now they are gone.
“That’s what I see in our group of competitors. If you are looking for an electric mid-size SUV then you are really in the market.”
Last year, Tesla’s Model Y SUV and Sample 3 Combined sedans achieved sales of 46,116 units, more than half of the 87,217 electric vehicles sold in Australia during 2023.
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Xpeng P5
BYD with it Atto 3 SUV, Dolphin hatchback (launched in August) and Seal sedan (launched in December) achieved sales of 12,438 units in the 12 months, while MG ranked third with sales of 5928 units. MG 4 hatchbacks and MG ZS EV SUVs.
TrueEV is yet to finalize pricing and specifications for the G6 in Australia, however Mr Clarke suggested the entry-level electric SUV could cost between $55,000 and $60,000, placing it squarely in base Tesla Model Y territory. base (priced from $55,900 previously). on-road expenses).
Overseas, the cheapest Xpeng G6 is powered by a 66kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, providing a driving range of up to 435km on the WLTP cycle – just 9km less than the Model Y claims.
Base versions also get a single electric motor that produces 190kW of power and 440Nm of torque, driving the rear wheels. This is lower than the 194kW-220kW and 340Nm estimates reported for the Model Y RWD.
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Xpeng G9
While TrueEV has yet to announce which other Xpeng models will join its local lineup, Mr. Clarke said the distributor will sell “thousands” of G6s by 2026.
“I cannot disclose the contract [sales] target, but I can say that we will sell thousands of G6 variants over the next 18 months. The goals are modest,” said the TrueEV CEO Car expert.
“Personally, I definitely want to see Xpeng [in the] top 5 electric vehicle sales in Australia and we’re aiming for top 3. That gives you some indication of where we want to place this.
“We’ve done a lot of research on our Chinese competitors, so we think we’ve got the best brand and our job is to get the message across to Australians. through its marketing activities. It’s a really good car and a really great brand.”
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