Xpeng News

A new version of the Xpeng X9 people mover has been revealed in China, with a large battery and an internal combustion engine (ICE) that combine to result in a claimed range that blows rivals out of the water. The 2026 Xpeng X9 ‘SuperRange Extended Range’, as the brand called it on Chinese social media platform Weibo, is confirmed for launch with a claimed battery-only range in excess of 450km and a combustion engine to charge it on the move. According to CarNewsChina, the Chinese Government’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has also published specifications of the X9 extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) and the seven-seat people mover should launch in the fourth quarter of the year in China. The model pairs a huge 63.3kWh battery with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine for what Xpeng claims is a total range of 1600km, though that figure was reached using lenient CLTC testing, which often results in far longer distances than NEDC (also relatively inaccurate) or WLTP, the latter being most widely accepted as an accurate testing method. Even if you account for a large portion of the total range to be unrealistic, the fact a people mover could be realistically able to cover more than 1000km on a single charge and full tank is impressive. Xpeng says the X9 EREV is capable of super-fast charging thanks to its 800V architecture, reducing waiting times for charging during particularly long trips and likely avoiding the need to rely heavily on the ICE for charging. According to the wording from Xpeng on its social media, the EREV tech is likely to make its way to other Xpeng models in the future. In Australia the X9 is still in the ‘register interest’ stage ahead of its launch in the fourth quarter of 2025, though it does have a fairly detailed page on the Xpeng Australia website. The EREV would likely be a while away if it does end up confirmed for Australia. When the standard EV X9 shows up, it’ll have a 702km range (CLTC) and be able to charge as much as 300km of range in 10 minutes, Xpeng claims.

XPeng's headline-grabbing P7 performance luxury sedan hits the market overseas with a crazy price-tag.

The global boss and founder of XPeng, the eponymous He Xiaopeng, told Chinese media he believes Chinese cars are still ten or twenty years away from being truly of a global standard, despite the rapid uptake of Chinese vehicles around the world. In a wide-ranging round-table interview with Chinese media at the reveal of the next-generation XPeng P7, as published by Autohome, Xiaopeng earmarked his wants for the future of the company. Xiaopeng said “we need to focus on four things: first, technology; second, organisation; third, commercialization; and finally comprehensive global capabilities are crucial.” “This is extremely difficult. Many people say that China’s new energy vehicles [or NEVs, a collective term for hybrid and electric cars] are much better than before, but truly achieving globalization will require 10 or even 20 years of serious study.” When asked a follow-up question on how Chinese cars can break into the international mainstream consciousness as the also-China-based Labubu collectible plush toys have recently, Xiaopeng said it was “a difficult question” but that the previous P7 didn’t have the same impact globally that it had in China. “I don’t quite understand why Labubu has such emotional value globally” “Let me cite a failure example: our first-generation P7 launched overseas in 2021 and few users overseas found it attractive. I was quite surprised. "European users believe no matter how beautiful a car is, it must also be family-friendly and have a trunk which must be large. They might go out and stock up with a week’s worth of groceries, so they need a huge trunk.” Therefore, China’s emotional values differ from global emotional values because they are related to local needs, culture, perceptions and thinking. They are completely different, we can’t use our emotional values to judge the world. "When will China’s emotional values reach the global level? I believe that when Chinese culture, film and television can successfully reach the global market, then it will be possible. This is an arduous and long-term task, but we will definitely see it in our lifetime. We must work hard.” The new P7 will serve as XPeng’s new flagship model, with the brand spending big in the design department in the hopes that it will have anything but a derivative look. elevating it to a global standard.  Xiaopeng explained his company is spending nearly two billion RMB (A$450 million) a year on design. Wang Tan, General Manager of the XPeng Motors Design Centre, said “we wanted to create a design language that would make people say ‘Wow! This is a daring-to-be-first design'. Our entire brand’s tone is daring to be first, and being an explorer of mobility". He added this is why the new P7 is trying something nearly entirely new and not carrying across elements of the previous-generation model. “If today’s designs still combine elements that are considered stable and conservative, then they are not innovative, creative, or original.” Part of the design ethos driving this design upheaval is also to create truly original Chinese designs, according to Tan, “I said Chinese people and Chinese cars can be original and pioneering.” “First and foremost, design itself is a part of the product’s identity, and must align with the brand identity which created it. XPeng is about pioneering.” Mr Xiaopeng may not be wrong. Prior to the rapid global expansion of Chinese brands, Korean giant Hyundai has enjoyed global popularity to go with other South Korean cultural exports like the KPop music phenomenon or popular movies and television like the Netflix series Squid Game. Korean companies followed in the footsteps of both vehicle and cultural exports from Japan which made it a global force that has only just started waning recently. However, Xiaopeng may also underestimate the Chinese car industry’s dominance. It is now by far the largest vehicle exporter in the world, having overtaken Japan, Mexico, Germany, South Korea and the United States since 2020. XPeng’s next move in Australia will be following up its G6 mid-size electric SUV with the X9 people mover and G9 large SUV before the end of the year, with a significant G6 update also due in the near future. It is also considering its options on the sedan front, with the low-cost Mona M03 seeming more likely for an Australian arrival than the flagship P7.

The next-generation XPeng P7 has debuted in China, with enviable specifications to put an end to range anxiety.

Following its unveiling earlier this year, with order books for Chinese domestic sales opening last month, XPeng has now confirmed pricing for its G7 mid-size electric SUV in its domestic market. Offered across three versions in China - 602 long-range Max, 702 ultra-long-range Max and 702 ultra-long-range Ultra - the single-motor RWD five-seater is priced from ¥195,800 to ¥225,800. CEO of Australian XPeng distributor, TrueEV, Jason Clarke is already on the record with his desire to see the new model hit Australian showrooms in 2026 as a high-tech companion to the similarly-sized G6. Using the Chinese domestic to Australian market pricing ratio applied to the G6, that spread translates to a potential Aussie entry-price of around $61,000, before on-road costs, rising to approximately $70,000 for the flagship grade. That would pitch the G7 into an mid-size EV cage fight against the Cupra Tavascan, Jeep Avenger and Mini Aceman (all from $60,990, before on-road costs) as well as the Tesla Model Y (from $58,900) Kia EV5 (from $61,170), VW ID.4 (from $59,990) and the smash-hit BYD Sealion 7 (from $54,990). Standard equipment across all grades in China includes four-seat ventilation/heating/massage, Nappa leather seat trim, 18- or 20-inch alloy rims, a 15.6-inch central multimedia screen, a new 87-inch head-up display, a panoramic sunroof, 20-speaker audio and ambient lighting. XPeng positions the G7 as the world’s first ‘L3-level AI car’ using three in-house developed ‘Turing’ chips, collectively capable of processing ‘2250TOPS’ (2250 Tera Operations Per Second), largely focused on future L4/L5 autonomous driving. Riding on the same ‘Smart Electric Platform Architecture 2.0’ chassis as its G6 stablemate, the G7 is powered by a 218kW permanent magnet synchronous motor driving the rear wheels only. The coupe-style G7 is only marginally bigger than the G6 at 4892mm long (+139mm), 1925mm wide (+) and 1655mm tall (+) with the same 2890mm wheelbase. Boot volume is generous at 819 litres, expanding to 2277L with a 42L ‘frunk’ in support. The car features an 800V matrix for fast charging of the standard 68.5kWh LFP battery or larger 80.8kWh unit (using the same chemistry). Claimed maximum charging capacity in China is a whopping 451kW (350kW is the current maximum rate available in Australia); enough to charge from 10 to 80 per cent in just 12 minutes. Minimum energy consumption is quoted as 12.9kWh/100km (CLTC) with claimed range varying between 577km for the standard battery variant and 702km for the larger battery ‘ultra-long-range’ models. The G7 also features a ‘Taichi AI chassis’ which facilitates self-learning for, among other things, refined road surface reading. This instructs the standard adaptive damping system which forms part of the double-wishbone front and five-link rear suspension set-up.

XPeng's small sedan is a smash-hit in China, as the local importer eyes its options for the Australian market.

XPeng attended this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed and in addition to showing off some new cars, it detailed some technical details about the forthcoming updated G6 electric mid-size SUV.

Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles sales are really taking off in Australia and many new and emerging brands are to thank for this.

XPeng next to go fully factory backed?

China’s XPeng has unveiled a new flagship electric sedan at this year’s Melbourne International EV Show and it could potentially launch in Australia.