It definitely sounds Chinese in Western ears: Xpeng. Still, it’s steadily making a name for itself, with G9 SUV, G6 SUV, and P7 sedan in over 20 European countries, with aggressive expansion plans aiming to enter 60 global markets by the end of 2025.
We drove two of them on German roads, the refreshed midsize G6 and Xpeng’s brand-new flagship G9 SUV. The latter distinguishes itself through blistering charging speeds and an intelligent, luxurious cabin that is remarkably generous for its price. Another milestone proving Chinese tech is ready for prime time.
Tech-driven automaker
Xpeng is one of these young Chinese startups that only started eleven years ago, and it has carved its reputation as a tech-driven automaker rather than just another EV manufacturer. Next to electric cars, it also made a name in ‘flying cars’ – mainly VTOLs, Vertical Take Off and Landing craft, and its own humanoid robot, Iron.
Iron, revealed in 2021, is Xpeng’s latest Gen 2 version of its general-purpose, 178 cm tall humanoid robot, which is slimmer, faster, features better hands, and can do delicate tasks like egg handling. It uses the carmaker’s ‘Eagle Eye’ 720º AI visual and learning system for smooth autonomous walking and interaction.
It is currently active in XPeng’s Guangzhou factory, where components for the P7+ EV model are being assembled, and commercialization is planned for 2026. Humanoid robots are popping up at several carmaker factories nowadays.
Elon Musk even boldly projected a few days ago that around 80% of Tesla’s future company value will stem from its Optimus humanoid robot business, rather than from its electric vehicle operations.
Going airborne vertically
Xpeng has proven to have closely monitored Tesla’s development path, and while it isn’t in space yet, like Musk’s SpaceX, it has gone airborne too and is taking a lead in drone-like aircraft.
The Voyager X2, for instance, is a fifth‑generation eVTOL aircraft developed by Xpeng AeroHT with eight electric motors, a dual-seat cockpit capable of flying pilot-driven or fully automatic at 130 km/h up to an altitude of 1,000 meters. It achieved its first public flight in October 2022 in Dubai and later got approval from China’s civil aviation authorities.
Even more impressive is the Land Aircraft Carrier, a six‑wheel van that houses an eVTOL, comparable to the X2, in its rear cargo compartment. The rolling component is a boxy, three-axle, six-by-six all-wheel drive vehicle that measures 5.5 meters in length, 2 meters in width, and 2 meters in height.
It is an EREV (Extended Range EV) based on an 800V platform with a combined (CLTC) range of over 1,000 km. The eVTOL compares to the X2, but has foldable rotor arms. It is designed for one pilot plus one passenger and can be deployed fully automatically from the rear of the vehicle or steered by a joystick.
It is also purely electric and can be charged by the carrier from 30 to 80% in 18 minutes. It should be able to do five to six manned or fully automated flights at one charge, and it looks promising for emergency services to be rapidly deployed.
Xpeng claims it already registered 3,000 pre-orders for its Land Aircraft Carrier (the van + eVTOL combo), which is also slated to ship first in China in late 2025 or early 2026, before Xpeng considers export markets such as the Middle East, Europe, or Australia. Pricing is estimated between $200,000 and $300,000.
Keeping our wheels on the ground
Nice, but we were in Munich to keep our feet (or better wheels) on the ground, with Xpeng’s more down-to-earth showroom-ready mobility concepts: its cars and more specifically the all-new G9.
Xpeng likes to emphasize that it is less of a “value Chinese EV” and more of a tech-first mobility company. It is among the first Chinese brands to develop an in-house ADAS stack (XNGP or Next-Gen Pilot) that is competitive and even outperforms Tesla’s FSD.
It was an early adopter of the 800-volt architecture (SEPA 2.0) across volume models like the G6, a rarity in its price class (€46,990 to €51,990), which enables super-fast charging, such as 10 to 80% of battery capacity in 12 minutes. It’s also one of G9’s USPs (unique selling proposition) with the 5C Supercharging Battery and Full-domain 800V High-voltage SiC Platform.
450 km in 12 minutes charging?
Xpeng equips its G9 with a ‘pioneering’ lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery with capacities of 79 kWh (Entry level) to 93.1 kWh (Long Range). In real life, that translates into achieving a range of over 450 kilometers in only 10 minutes at a DC fast-charger, with a maximum WLTP range of 585 km for its flagship SUV.
That’s pretty close to the time you spend on an average gasoline fill-up stop. In theory, charging speeds up to 525 kW are feasible, but are seldom met on a public charger. Although we actually saw charging speeds of over 270 kW at Ionity chargers in Germany while test-driving.
What to say about the actual driving experience itself? It’s hard not to repeat oneself, but once again, this Chinese SUV amazes with its high luxury standards you usually expect in double-priced German premium cars, with perfect finishing, vivid performance, and smooth handling.
Lusciously luxurious
Minimalistic as the competitor it focuses on, the bigger Tesla X, but with all the luxury you can dream of. With Nappa leather seats, 12-way power adjustment, heating, ventilation, and a 10-point Shiatsu massage function. On the second row, electrically reclining seats are also available with heating, ventilation, and massage.
Triple-silver glass panoramic sunroof with thermal insulation, which blocks 99.99% of UV radiation and lowers cabin temperatures by up to 8°C, ensuring optimal comfort in all conditions.
The interior setup includes a 10.25-inch LCD instrument panel for the driver and dual 14.96-inch screens, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295P chipset, the tech company’s fourth-generation automotive cockpit platform. No head-up-display (HUD) though, we personally would like to see added.
That second screen allows the passenger to watch streaming video, which we tested by pre-viewing one of Amazon Prime’s latest action series, without my colleague and co-driver actually able to see what’s playing. Seen from the driver’s seat, the screen remains dark, but you’ll get the sound if your passenger isn’t using earphones.
No physical buttons
Expect no physical buttons at all, unless on the steering wheel. Prepare to dig into the software of the car for every minor adjustment, from setting the mirrors to disabling annoying speed limit warnings, driving modes, or heating on the central touch screen.
Luckily, the software is quite intuitive, and swiping down gives you the most wanted features instantly. Navigation is precise and responsive, but somewhat limited to strict basic usage, and apparently, in our test vehicle, without real-time traffic updates or speed camera warnings.
As in most cars today, you’re better off with dedicated navigation apps like Waze or TomTom, and the integrated Apple CarPlay or Android Auto is a must-have feature.
Silence is luxury
Without the noise or music, the car remains ‘addictively quiet’ while driving and accelerating at sports car levels. Most people think they’re going to miss the sound of a roaring V8 gasoline engine, which is associated with performance.
But the opposite is true. Silence is luxury, something Rolls-Royce owners are paying lots of money for in living memory. And while you can get a jet-like acceleration experience when going from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds, this AWD Long Range/Performance with its 2,340 kg overweight rides extremely smoothly.
After all, this big SUV is powered by a 423 kW (567 hp) in its AWD Performance version, and 258 kW (344 hp) in the RWD version, and that is actually way more than what you need in daily driving. The Performance ‘floats’ on air suspension, which allows a 100 mm-adjustable ride height.
With all-in Belgian prices of €63,990 for the standard version and € 73,990 for the Performance version, this Xpeng G9 does not fall short of possible competitors like a Volvo EX90 (€92,570), the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV (€84,700), or the BMW iX (€85,400).
A slight difference, those competitor prices are all ‘starting’ prices for the basic trim. Unlike the Chinese full-option offering, you’ll still need to dress those up with options, and that can get pretty expensive.
Highly recommended by first-time owners
Xpeng claims that it is perceived as the best choice among Chinese EVs by current European EV drivers. It stems from the 2025 EV Satisfaction Study, conducted among 5,000 EV owners across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland by USCALE GmbH, a German market research and customer insights firm.
Drivers were asked how likely they were to recommend their brand on a 0–10 scale. Eighty-one % of XPeng owners rated their likelihood of recommending the brand as a 9 or 10, compared to the industry average of 50%. Only 17% of XPeng owners rated as low as 0 to 6.
This made XPeng the first Chinese automaker to lead the study, surpassing Tesla’s previous position at the top. So, better get used to it, Chinese tech is ready for prime time.
