Xpeng announces official entry into German market
China's electric carmaker Xpeng Motors has said it will strengthen its foothoold in Europe by entering the German market.
Starting May, buyers in Germany will be able to test drive and order the Xpeng P7 sedan and the Xpeng G9 SUV from dealerships, the company said on Thursday.
Entering the German market is a milestone, Markus Schrick, the head of Xpeng in Germany, told reporters.
Xpeng Motors said last September, when it unveiled the international versions of the P7i and G9 models at the IAA Mobility in Munich, that it would enter the German market in 2024.
The international version of Xpeng G9 is currently priced at between 57,600 euros (US$62,470) and 69,600 euros, compared with the domestic prices of between 263,900 yuan to 359,900 yuan, according to Xpeng Motors.
Xpeng will work with 12 local dealers to operate in 24 retail locations in Germany. It plans to raise the number of dealers to 60 and expand to 120 retail outlets by late 2026, according to the official website.
In 2023, Xpeng delivered 141,600 new vehicles in the domestic market, up 17 percent annually. But its sales growth slowed due to fierce competition.
The Xpeng G9 Max accounted for as much as 80 percent of overall sales.
A registration page for more information or to book a test drive of the Xpeng G9 on the official website of Xpeng Motors Germany
Xpeng is one of the first Chinese new-energy vehicle firms to enter the European market. Currently, it has sales networks in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands.
Until 2023, Xpeng's annual exports amounted to 3,261 units, accounting for only 2.3 percent of the company's annual sales, according to official data.
"Going overseas requires 10 years of deployment and preparation, and also much determination. Overseas markets will contribute half of the car deliveries for Xpeng," He Xiaopeng, the carmaker's founder, said.
Xpeng will focus its overseas expansion on Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and actively work together with more dealers to enter more key global markets, according to He.
The entry of Xpeng into Germany also reflects the competitiveness of Chinese NEVs, with going overseas becoming a trend for Chinese companies.
BYD's first automobile transportation ro-ro ship 'BYD Explorer No.1' successfully transported 5449 BYD NEVs and returned to China on January 14, 2024.
It is also a natural choice when the domestic electric car market becomes increasingly crowded, while the trend is facilitated by enhanced car-carrying abilities.
BYD, another major Chinese player in the electric car arena, transported 5,449 NEVs aboard its ro-ro ship "BYD Explorer No.1" to Europe early this year.
This ushered in a new era when China can transport a large number of cars abroad.
In 2023, China's automobile production and sales for the first time reached 30 million units, and exports reached 5 million units, a sharp increase year on year.
The production and sales of NEVs exceeded 9 million units, ranking top worldwide for nine consecutive years, according to the China Automobile Association.
