June 23, 2022 12:01 AM

Newcomer Xpeng tries old trick to challenge Tesla, Polestar

Chinese brand prices P5 to undercut Model 3, Polestar 2

The entry-level Xpeng P5 will include for free a suite of advanced driver assistance systems that start at 3,800 euros in the Tesla Model 3 and 2,066 euros in the Polestar 2.

Xpeng might be a young Chinese brand looking to emulate Tesla’s success by offering a connected EV, but its promise to European consumers is an old favorite for new brands: offer more features for less than the competition.

“Our plan is to offer 20 percent higher spec than the competitors’ entry-level models,” Isaac Yeo, head of Xpeng Netherlands, told Automotive News Europe on a recent driving event there.

The P5 is Xpeng's newest car and was to be its launch vehicle in the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden in the fourth quarter, but supply chain problems forced a delay. The larger P7 will now be the brand's launch car in those countries, starting in the second quarter of 2023.

The Basics

Base price: 48,000 euros
Battery size: 66 kWh
Maximum range: 465 km (WLTP, not homologated)
Where built: Zhaoqing, China
Platform: A-class
Main rivals: Tesla Model 3, Polestar 2, BMW i4, Nio ET5

Xpeng's European campaign began in Norway in 2020 with the launch of the G3 compact electric SUV, but it picked the P7 and P5 sedan to roll out sales in other countries. The P9 large electric SUV will follow the P7 and P5.

As promised, the P5 will undercut like-for-like versions of the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2, its two closest rivals.

Xpeng is targeting an entry price of 48,000 euros ($51,300) in the Netherlands for the 211-hp single-motor version of the P5, which has a 66-kilowatt-hour battery and a 465-km (289-mile) range.

That nearly matches the entry Polestar 2, which starts at 47,900 euros in the Netherlands for a car with a 69-kWh battery, 474 km of range and a 228-hp single electric motor.

The entry Tesla Model 3 costs 51,990 euros but offers more range – 491 km – from an undisclosed battery size and a single electric motor of undisclosed power.

The base P5 also includes a panoramic sunroof, but its biggest trump card compared with its main rivals is standard fitment of a suite of advanced driver assistance systems. A similar package starts at 3,800 euros in the Model 3 and 2,066 euros in the Polestar 2.

Xpeng calls its ADAS solution Xpilot 2.5, which includes adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, automated parking with the ability to summon the car using a smartphone and 360-degree-view camera monitoring.

“The unique selling point of Xpeng is the technology: Xpilot, AI, and connected car features,” said Jackie Qiang, head of sales for Europe.

The P5 for Europe, however, won’t be as high-tech as the Chinese version, which has been touted by company founder and namesake He Xiaopeng as “the world’s first mass-produced lidar-equipped smart EV.”

Not ready for Europe, yet

In China, Xpeng offers its Navigation Guided Pilot (NGP) on the highway as part of its Xpilot 3.0 ADAS solution, which is similar to Tesla’s so-called “Navigate with Autopilot” function.
Xpilot 3.0 steers the car off the highway at the correct exit based on instructions given to the car’s navigation system, albeit this only takes place if the driver’s hands are on the steering wheel.
Xpeng says the upgraded Xpilot 3.5 will include a lidar system and a new chip from technology supplier Nvidia that is supposed to make it possible for the car to follow map instructions on “major urban roads.” Lidar-equipped models won’t be coming to Europe, however.
Xpeng had been following Tesla by charging customers to use its highway driving solution but said during its May earnings call that the technology will be free on cars bought with some additional hardware. This is a big shift from the over-the-air subscription model favored by Tesla for its so-called “Full Self Driving” package.

European cars won’t get the lidar unit or the higher performing Xpilot 3.0 or 3.5 suites, the latter of which in China will offer the brand’s City Navigation Guided Pilot (see box, right).

Just getting the car’s version of Xpilot 2.5 ready for Europe appears to have been hard enough for Xpeng.

Our test drive of a prototype was negatively impacted by Xpilot 2.5’s overly sensitive lane-centering functionality, which would infuriate owners with its constant warnings and alarms if it were released in its current state.

On a positive note, the system helped the car perform a faultless self-parking maneuver at the Mall of the Netherlands near The Hague, where Xpeng has opened its first so-called “Brand Experience” showroom in the country.

Like the Model 3 and Polestar 2, the P5 was designed for markets that prefer sedans to hatchbacks, in contrast to what is most popular in Europe.

The upside of its Chinese-angled proportions is that at 4808 mm the P5 is about 100 mm (about 4 inches) longer than its competition. The extra space is most noticeable in the roomy back seats and long trunk.

Fast-charging capability is comparatively slow at a maximum 70 kilowatts direct current, while an on-board alternating-current charger is rated at 11 kW. A vehicle-to-load option allows up to 3.3 kW of power to be taken out of the car.

Information is delivered via a 15.6-inch central portrait touchscreen and 12.3-inch screen behind the steering wheel.

Despite Xpeng’s focus on voice recognition, the animated robot responding to commands of “Hey, Xpeng” proved no better at comprehension than systems offered by Western rivals.

If Xpeng can successfully translate its Chinese-market smart-car capability to Europe, then that and the P5’s space, equipment and electric efficiency could make it an interesting alternative to the likes of Tesla and Polestar