Electric Vehicle Startup Xpeng Inc Builds its 100,000th P7 Smart Sedan, Unveils a New High-Performance ‘Black Label Edition'

author: FutureCar Staff    

The Xpeng P7 Black Label Edition commemorates the production of 100,000 units of the sedan since 2020.

Electric vehicle startup Xpeng Inc announced the production of its 100,000th P7 smart sedan, the company's flagship model that launched in 2020. The P7 is the first model in Xpeng's lineup that hit the 100,000 vehicle production milestone. 

The 100,000th Xpeng P7 rolled off the production line just 695 days after its official launch on April 27, 2020, which according to Xpeng, sets a record for pure electric vehicles from emerging auto brands in China.

To commemorate the 100,000 P7, Xpeng unveiled the "P7 562E Black Label Edition" today at its factory in Zhaoqing, China. The Black Label Edition is based on the P7 all-wheel drive high-performance version that's already on sale. The exterior features black paint with color coordinating wheels and trim, as well as a black interior.

The P7 562E Black Label Edition will be officially launched in China on April 10, 2022.

The Black Edition comes equipped with Xpeng's XPILOT 3.0 advanced driver assistance system (DAS) as well as its Navigation Guided Pilot (NGP) hand-free autonomous driving feature and Valet Parking Assist (VPA) which parks the vehicle without assistance. 

Xpeng's NGP is built to handle complex driving on China's busy highways. The NGP automated driving feature allows drivers to simply enter a destination and the P7 sedan will navigate to it without human intervention in most cases. Xpeng considers its to be a SAE level-3 autonomous driving system, which means that the system can operate without human intervention. It's available on highways in China that are covered by high-precision maps from Chinese navigation company AutoNavi. 

The production ramp up of the P7 from 2020 reflects the efficiency of the company's manufacturing, supply chain management, sales, and service network, as it looks to become a leader in China's growing EV market.

Xpeng is emerging as a major competitor to Tesla in China with its more affordable P7 sedan. The sedan was designed to compete with Tesla's flagship Model S. On the outside, the P7 is reminiscent of the Model S and was designed to include the high tech features that many car buyers want in today's modern electric vehicles, including connectivity, autonomous driving technology and long battery range.

The super-long range version of the P7 sedan also offers the longest range of all production EVs sold in China, with an NEDC range of 706km (439 miles). For comparison, the Long Range Plus version of the Tesla Model S achieves an EPA estimated range of 402 miles.

In July 2021, the Xpeng P7 achieved the highest ranking in the midsize BEV segment in J.D. Power's inaugural China New Energy Vehicle –Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (NEV-APEAL) study. 

The P7 also achieved a 5-star safety rating with a total score of 89.4% and the highest active safety score of 98.51% among electric vehicles in China from the China New Car Assessment Program (C-NCAP). The P7 also achieved a 92.61% occupant protection score in the C-NCAP safety test. 

Xpeng's NGP was the first to receive a 5-star rating from the i-VISTA (Intelligent Vehicle Integrated Systems Test Area) intelligent vehicle testing platform in China. The P7 was awarded with four "Excellent" ratings in smart driving, safety, smart interaction, and smart energy efficiency. 

The car also obtained "Excellent" ratings for its advanced driver assist features, including lane change assist, AEB emergency braking and LDW (Lane Departure Warning). It has scored high for the touchscreen display and voice interaction features.

Xpeng is now planning its expansion outside of China as it looks to become a global electric car company like Tesla.

In August of last year, Xpeng started shipping its P7 sedan to Norway, a country with the world's highest EV adoption rate. Xpeng's continued push into Europe will also give rival Tesla some new competition in Norway, where it enjoys strong sales.

Earlier this month, Xpeng opened reservations for its new P5 sedan in Europe. Reservations for the P5 are being opened simultaneously in Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. 

The move marks a major milestone for XPeng's European expansion plans. It follows the P7 and the G3i SUV, which Xpeng started shipping to Norway in Sept 2020. The Xpeng P5 is a close competitor to Tesla's Model 3 sedan in the European market.

The rising EV adoption rate in all four of the European countries makes them attractive markets for Xpeng. The Tesla Model 3 sedan for example, is the most popular EV in Norway right now and the country's EV sales make up nearly two thirds of all vehicle sales. 

As one of the leading EV startups in China, XPeng said it sees tremendous opportunities to expand to global markets. The rollout of the P7 in Norway and the production milestone of 100,000 units marks the next steps in the company's strategy to develop its presence outside China.

Xpeng delivered 12,992 vehicles in the month of January. It was the company's fifth consecutive month of over 10,000 EV deliveries and represents a 115% increase year-over-year.

As of Jan. 31, 2022, XPeng's cumulative deliveries surpassed 150,000 as the company continues to gain EV market share in China.

Xpeng is also a publicly traded company in the U.S., launching its IPO in Aug 2020. The automaker's shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol "XPEV".

FutureCar Staff