Chinese electric specialist Xpeng has launched its fast-charging G9 flagship SUV in select European markets as it continues to mull entry into the UK.
The Xpeng G9 joins an updated version of the P7 saloon in Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway. The company is keen to launch in the UK, officials said. However, it has yet to engineer its cars for right-hand drive, pushing a likely launch to 2025 or beyond.
Xpeng is relying on high-spec, cutting-edge charging technology and a decent range to tempt northern European customers into the G9.
Prices start at 57,990 euros (£51,000) in the Netherlands, undercutting premium rivals such as the BMW i3X, starting from 71,488 euros in the same country, but making it pricier than more mainstream electric SUVs such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 from 48,295 euros and the Tesla Model Y at 47,970 euros. The G9 however is slightly larger at 4.9m long vs 4.75m for the Model Y.
The G9 uses an 800-volt architecture that allows charging at speed of up to 300kW, lower than the 480kW the company claims for the Chinese-market car but still faster than the competition. Cars on Hyundai-Kia’s GMP platform, one of the few also equipped with an 800v architecture, can charge at 240kW.
The standard battery uses the less energy-dense LFP (lithium iron phosphate) chemistry rated at 78kWh for a range measured at 286 miles on the WLTP cycle. The longer-range version switches to a 98kWh nickel-rich chemistry to provide up to 354 miles.
The headlining all-wheel-drive version of the long-range model adds a second motor to cut the claimed 0-62mph to 3.9 seconds from 6.4 seconds in the standard rear-wheel drive models.
The European G9 offers a suite of assisted driving technology under the Xpilot banner but drops the Chinese-market lidar, reducing its sensors from 31 to 29. “Lidar is extremely cost intensive. We want to be at the forefront of ADAS for European carmakers, but also have to offer a competitive price. With lidar we wouldn’t be able to do that,” Martin, Stegelmeier, head of product planning for Europe, told Autocar.
Xpeng is one of a trio of Chinese EVs along with Nio and Li Auto positioning themselves as ‘smart EV’ sellers in the mould of Tesla. However all three are under pressure from new electric brands from more established Chinese automakers, the bank UBS noted in a November report. The bank referenced Geely and its Zeekr brand, which is on track to launch in Europe this year.
Xpeng is pushing itself as a more premium brand in Europe after launching in Norway in 2020 with a compact SUV called G3, since upgraded, but not offered in its three newer markets. The company dropped a smaller saloon badged P5 after less than a year, and is now concentrating on it’s the two new cars, both of which measure 4.9 metres long.
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All well and good, but , is nobody trying to bring this to us all?, the ones in future who will have an EV.
The MG 4 seems to be leader when it comes to reasonably priced with a long warranty