The name on the cars of Xpeng will leave little doubt among most readers that this is the latest of the host of new Chinese brands currently flooding into the UK, but this newcomer claims to be different to most and, in fact, not a typical car manufacturer at all.
Xpeng describes itself as a technology company that also makes cars, and while that might sound like a description of Tesla, the new Chinese brand is confident it won’t experience the same issues currently increasingly afflicting its US counterpart.
A company only in its second decade, Xpeng has grown quickly despite taking a much less aggressive approach than other Chinese brands – its arrival in the UK in early 2025 attracted little fanfare and it has taken a year to get close to selling 1,000 cars.
However, Xpeng has already gained a reputation for the quality of its tech with heavy investments in such areas as driver-assistance systems and self-driving cars. This is one brand that appears well placed for the direction in which new cars are moving.
So who or what is Xpeng?
Xpeng was founded in 2014 by two executives of GAC, Guangzhou Automotive, the fifth-largest Chinese automotive group. Both were experts in technology, research and development, and from the start the company was focused heavily on high tech, focusing on mobility as a whole rather than just vehicles. By the time it launched its first car, the G3 SUV in 2018, Xpeng’s US subsidiary had gained a permit to test self-driving cars in California.
The company quickly grew in its home market, while several funding rounds over the next few years expanded Xpeng’s capital and research and development. Major advances came in 2021 with a five times increase in car sales, adding a third more staff in the R&D department and entry into Xpeng’s first overseas market, in Norway. Today, the company is in 60 markets, including 26 countries in Europe, and has built a production plant for its European cars in Graz, Austria.
Technological innovations included the P5 saloon of 2021 – its driver-assistance systems were the first in a production car to employ laser-based LIDAR sensors, offering a number of advances over conventional systems including the ability to read traffic lights.
A further major move in 2023 saw Xpeng enter a partnership with Volkswagen, the German giant spending $700 million to acquire almost 5% of the Chinese maker. The two now jointly develop Volkswagen models for Xpeng’s home market and are collaborating over the development of new technology for their cars.
Today, technology remains front and centre of Xpeng’s DNA – the company mantra is quoted as “Technology is the game changer for future mobility, shifting focus from horsepower to brainpower.”
Xpeng argues that in the electric world, horsepower is easy because electric motors are far superior to conventional engines – now it is all about brainpower, how the car provides technology not just to the driver but all of the occupants. It is particularly making the most of opportunities offered by AI, autonomous intelligence.
Among technological achievements, the company has developed an autonomous driving system called XPILOT, which has actually rendered LIDAR sensors out of date, Xpeng replacing the LIDAR systems in its model range with XPILOT. There is even an Xpeng humanoid robot called Iron, who we are told will be helping to sell the brand’s cars in Chinese dealerships before the end of 2026.
One of the most recent Xpeng advances is a driver-assistance system specially developed to navigate narrow streets, launched in early 2026. Xpeng intends to make this system available to other makers, with Volkswagen models likely to be some of the first vehicles fitted with it.
When did Xpeng launch in the UK?
Xpeng launched its UK operation in February 2025, signing up with the long-established IM (International Motors) group, which also looks after the interests of Subaru, Isuzu, GWM and the returning Mitsubishi.
The company is taking a steady and evolutionary approach to its growth in Britain, in contrast to other Chinese brands that have aggressively chased rapid sales growth by setting up large dealer networks.
What models does Xpeng have and what else is coming?
Xpeng’s UK sales have so far relied on a single model – the G6 is a mid-sized electric crossover targeting the likes of the Tesla Model Y. Initial reviews of the G6 have been generally positive, highlighting its quality build and intuitive technology, particularly the driver-assistance systems that are less intrusive than rival systems but still very effective – the car has earned a top five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP.
Despite being on UK sale for only a year, the G6 was facelifted in early 2026 – among a claimed 20,000 changes were updates to the interior, a larger touchscreen and improvements to the voice assistant. Most pertinently an all-wheel-drive dual-motor Performance version with a sub 4.1-second 0-62mph time is now available to UK customers for the first time.
Coming next will be the X9, which is a seven-seat people carrier. Despite UK buyers having fallen out of love with MPVs in favour of SUVs over recent years, the model is said to be highly popular globally, particularly for large families. Xpeng executives have described the sleek-looking machine as “styled like a starship” and it is expected to challenge the likes of the Kia EV9.
What will follow remains open to speculation. While saying more models are on the way “in different market segments”, Xpeng is again bucking the trend by not indicating what type or how many new cars it will produce in future years, though we are told that the first of the additional models will launch before the end of 2026.
Industry sources suggest that the third Xpeng offering in the UK may be the G9, a mid-sized SUV already sold in Europe, with two more cars coming before 2028.
Where can I try a Xpeng car?
Xpeng has not taken the route of several of its Chinese counterparts by aggressively signing up dealers for its UK adventure, arguing that it needs more than one model on sale first to ensure its dealers make enough money.
As of February 2026, a year after launch, the company has only 17 UK showrooms, and management say they will be adding “potentially another seven or eight” to fill gaps in coverage across the country – particularly in cities and the southeast. The intention is that 80% of UK residents will be able to reach an Xpeng showroom in 45 minutes to an hour.
The brand considers its aftersales and service outlets more important, arguing that once they have bought a car customers’ main contact with Xpeng will be through aftersales – currently there are 24 outlets which the company says gives it national coverage.
What makes Xpeng different to the rest?
Xpeng is basing its image on its technology and making the most of how technological advances can be employed in its cars – from making them safer both for occupants and those outside the car to future-proofing them against future advances.
While every car manufacturer is now producing more technological product than ever before, Xpeng believes it has an advantage in focusing on technology first and sharing all of its innovations across all the sectors it works in, from cars to robots.
An Xpeng fact to amuse your friends
Xpeng has turned a transport holy grail from science fiction to reality – the company has built a flying car.
The ‘Land Aircraft Carrier’ is a van-sized six-wheeled EV. From within it emerges an electric two-seat aircraft, a bit like a drone but big enough to carry people and sized, according to Xpeng, to fit into a standard car parking space.
This is no concept; prototypes are testing in China and Xpeng says it has 7,000 orders for them with first deliveries planned for the end of 2026 – senior management in China have even been told to get pilot’s licences.
Summary
Among the unprecedented and confusing choice of new electric cars now available to UK buyers, mainly as a result of the influx of Chinese brands, it would be easy to overlook Xpeng. The name might be considered overly cheesy by some, or the company’s evolutionary approach lost in the shadow of the more in-your-face marketing of rivals.
Xpeng merits a look, however. The Car Expert has driven both the original and updated G6 and while the car lives up to its makers’ claims to be a technology-led company, the tech is not allowed to get in the way of the basic things one needs from a vehicle, such as ease of use, a comfortable ride and plenty of space… This is a new brand worth keeping an eye on.
More in our series ‘Spotlight on China’:
