Xpeng In Talks With Iconic Malaysian Auto Distributor
The Malaysian electric vehicle segment gets more interesting in 2024 as we see the influx of new electric car brands. One of the brands is Chinese premium EV manufacturer XPENG and their senior representatives have been sighted in Klang Valley in talks with a well established automotive distributor.
The arrival of XPENG will push historical automotive manufacturers who have had to retool and rework their production and engineering to cater to this changing landscape to re-evaluate their product strategy for Malaysia.
Why? Well, XPENG is a premium EV brand and yet their selling prices are lower than Porsche, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and even Volvo. Ok, you might say we are a starting to talk ‘crazy’ by putting XPENG side by side with there premium car manufacturers.
Well, since the electric movement took the fast track in the last 2 years, Chinese EV manufacturers have managed to fast track their position right next to premium European brands as the ‘game’ has changed tremendously.
Consumers in Asia Pacific are now comparing European brands with Chinese brands and it is only in the super premium and super car segments that the Europeans still command un-questioned respect.
Move down the ‘social ladder’ a notch or two (RM300k to RM450k price range) and EV buyers are happy to consider a Chinese car brand like BYD, EXEED and XPENG.
Take note that In China, pricing for the XPENG P7 sports sedan starts at 229,900 RMB (RM139,420) for the Standard Long Range version all the way to 349,900 RMB (RM212,190) for the range-topping Premium 4WD High Performance, post import tax and road tax subsidies. In comparison, the Tesla Model 3 starts at 300,800 RMB (RM195,360).
For their flagship SUV, the XPENG G9, it has been hailed as the world’s fastest charging mass produced EV using China’s first 800 V mass-production Silicon Carbide (SiC) platform.
This allows drivers to add up to 200 km of driving range in just five minutes. The XPENG G9 also utilizes the industry’s first full-scenario Advanced Driver Assistance (ADAS) System for a whole new level of safety and driving experience.
This safety system features 31 lidar sensors, dual NVIDIA DRIVE Orin-X intelligent assisted driving chips and a Gigabit Ethernet communication architecture which means this SUV has powerful sensing capabilities and computing power allowing maximum comfort when transitioning between different road conditions.
The interior of the XPENG G9 is luxurious and was built to create an immersive 5D experience with the use of its futuristic media system and the car has a claimed maximum driving range of 702km or 436 miles making it a class leader for mid-sized SUVs.
Stay tuned to www.dsf.my as we share news of the start of business and their established Malaysian partner in coming weeks.
