Chinese electric vehicle producers sell many electric cars in China, but they are also looking for the best way to enter and expand into overseas markets. Europe is the most important target, since it is the second largest electric vehicle market in the world. However, at a time when Chinese car manufacturers are trying to establish themselves there, the EU is putting in place considerable trade barriers (customs duties).
The fact is that while tariffs will certainly hurt the entry and sales of cheap electric cars from China, more premium, ultra-high-tech and luxury models have a lot of room to maneuver to enter Europe and find success there. This is the case of the Xpeng P7+, which has just been unveiled at the Paris motor show.
Two statements about the P7+ particularly struck me when this car was announced. First of all, it is the “world’s first AI-defined vehicle.” AI is a buzzword, and I find it a little irritating these days, but I know that Xpeng has top-notch self-driving technology, and so I was a little curious about what Xpeng was going to promote AI in the car. Unfortunately, I couldn’t really find any details. The most useful line on this is: “Advanced features of XPENG’s AI-defined vehicles include the ability to learn from individual user behaviors and preferences. This technology makes driving easier and enhances the intelligent driving experience, ensuring that the car understands the needs of each user for a personalized journey. » I’m not sure what that means. Learn from user behavior? What type of behavior and what is the degree of learning?
Yes, I think Xpeng is ahead of almost every other automaker when it comes to developing driver assistance technology, but, as with Tesla’s FSD, I don’t think it has much of an impact. It’s important until Xpeng reaches true robotaxi capacity and the service arrives.
The second important point is the claim that the P7+ can “easily accommodate 33 carry-on suitcases with the rear seats folded.” Seriously, 33 suitcases?!?!?! You have to see it to believe it.
Overall, though, it’s just a beautiful, stylish, high-tech electric car. And it should find buyers.
“The P7+ integrates advanced AI technology across XPENG’s chassis, powertrain, driving system, intelligent cockpit and AI Hawkeye visual solution, making intelligent driving a core feature of the future mobility experience », writes the company.
As the world’s first AI-defined vehicle, one of the missions of the P7+ is to enable more classic car users to experience the joys of intelligent electric driving. The strong points of XPENG P7+ technology are as follows:
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- It offers advanced ADAS as standard across all ranges, with no fees or subscriptions, and is constantly evolving through OTA updates.
- Adopts XPENG AI Hawkeye visual solution, powered by large end-to-end AI models, it improves understanding of time and space in surrounding environments, while improving accuracy, range and color resolution .
- The interior is roomier than a sport utility vehicle and can easily fit 33 carry-on suitcases when the rear seats are folded.
- Thanks to the standard 800V high-voltage SiC platform of the XPENG G9 and G6, the P7+ not only offers exceptional ultra-fast charging, but also an impressive power consumption of just 11.6 kWh/100 km, outperforming other vehicles of its segment.
- Equipped with dual 8M cameras (front and rear), millimeter wave radars and ultrasonic radars, it provides intelligent driving performance comparable to previous solutions that relied on expensive LiDAR systems and HD map coverage.
- It provides clearer, more precise and longer range vision and perception, which allows the on-board computer to operate efficiently even in low light, backlight and high contrast lighting conditions.
- It has a sense of time and space and recognizes different road signs and traffic light systems in different cities, ensuring its functionality in various urban environments.
Will all these features and improvements attract many more Xpeng buyers? Or will the P7+ be a niche vehicle in Xpeng’s lineup and the broader EV market as a whole?
Xpeng also said it now operates in 30 countries and regions, selling cars in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, France, Iceland, Spain and Portugal. However, the company still has expansion plans in mind. The company plans to be present in 60 markets by the end of next year.
“The company has successfully launched three vehicles in Europe – the stylish P7 sedan, the popular G9 flagship SUV and the ultra-smart G6 SUV coupe – all of which received a 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating.