What is XPeng? Complete brand, model and tech guide for UK car buyers

AI-powered, four-limbed humanoid robots and flying ‘cars’ launching from a six-wheeled mothership vehicle might have sounded like a futurist’s fever dream not so long ago. But they’re just another day at the office of Chinese tech company XPeng.

He Xiaopeng founded the company in 2014: in just over a decade, XPeng has grown to around 40,000 employees – eclipsing Jaguar Land Rover in size – with 15 per cent working in R&D. Its global expansion includes R&D centres in Silicon Valley and San Diego, US, a listing on the New York stock exchange and a recently announced European manufacturing partnership with Magna in Austria. 

The brand launched in the UK in February 2025, but its G6 spearhead – a 4.7m-long EV with two battery sizes – has already been superseded by an upgraded model. XPeng’s USP is Europe’s punchiest DC charging: the G6 draws a maximum 451kW to refuel the 80kWh battery in just 12 minutes (from 10 to 80 per cent). Like the Tesla Model Y it resembles, there’s a Performance version with twin motors and 481bhp, and its circa-£49k price tag is at least £10k cheaper. 

XPeng began with six UK dealers, tapping into the logistics and parts distribution network of IM Group. That unlocked an initial 30 service centres, which should grow to 45 by the end of the year, plus 18 dealerships. 

The luxurious X9 MPV – with seven seats, active rear-steering, fridges and streaming screens – will attack the executive limo market, with an Indonesian factory already churning out right-hand-drive cars. 

And in late 2026 the G6’s bigger brother, the G9 crossover, will arrive. Like the G6, it’s a five-seater with rear and all-wheel-drive options, a 93kWh battery and 525kW DC charging. Being able to pull those speeds gives XPengs an advantage over many EVs.

XPeng also claims to be one of the first auto makers rolling out global software updates over the air (not piecemeal by territory), and it’s promising to expand its AI-enabled autonomous driving features too. 

Volkswagen Group is already convinced: it has formed a joint venture with XPeng to create the electric and electronic architecture for all its future Chinese cars, and is co-funding the rollout of 20,000 chargers in 420 home cities. All these investments mean the start-up is currently burning through cash – like Tesla in the early days. The target of 20,000 UK sales by 2030 looks very achievable.

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