Chinese EV-maker Xpeng plans to enter RHD markets Hong Kong and ASEAN – Thailand, Indonesia, SG and Malaysia

Chinese EV brand Xpeng is set to arrive in Malaysia soon. The Guangzhou-based company’s co-founder and CEO He Xiaopeng said that Xpeng will launch its first right-hand drive model in the second half of this year as it expands beyond its home market.

RHD markets that are in Xpeng’s sights are Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. In the latter, He said Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia would be targeted by the carmaker, of which the Volkswagen Group owns 5%.

“In tandem with Xpeng’s go-global 2.0 strategy, we have formed partnerships with an increasing number of capable dealers abroad, with an ultimate goal of making best-in-class smart electric cars accessible to customers around the world,” said He in a written reply to questions from the South China Morning Post.

Xpeng currently makes only left-hand drive cars, and most of those are sold in mainland China. Aside from Hong Kong (RHD is a British legacy) and ASEAN, the firm has plans to enter key European markets.

According to SCMP’s report, expanding into RHD markets will provide Xpeng with a cushion against a potential sales decline in China, where an EV price war is damaging the profitability of almost all players.

Earlier this month, Xpeng announced that it was extending a 20,000 yuan (RM13,047) discount on its G6 SUV until the end of the month, following BYD’s February move to price the latest Qin Plus DM-i PHEV 20% below the ­previous edition. The following day, three other carmakers priced their best-selling EVs below the 100k yuan (RM65,239) mark to compete. A race to the bottom? That’s why Chinese carmakers have to now look beyond their domestic market.

President Brian Gu said that its first right-hand drive car would be an updated edition of the bestselling G6 SUV,which would probably reach Hong Kong in late-2024.

In China, the G6 is priced from 209,900 to 276,900 yuan (RM136,933 to RM180,642). Built on an 800V architecture, the rear-wheel drive variant of the G6 has a 296 PS/440 Nm motor while the all-wheel drive variant gets two motors with a total system output of 487 PS and 660 Nm.

Two battery packs are available – a 66-kWh LFP unit for RWD models (CLTC range 580 km) and a 87.5-kWh NMC that’s good for 755 km (single-motor) or 700 km (dual-motor) of CLTC range. The max rate for DC fast charging is 480 kW.