Electric Vehicle Startup XPeng Inc to Sell its Vehicles in Sweden, Netherlands in New European Retail Collaborations

author: Eric Walz   

Xpeng's electric vehicles will be sold in Sweden and Netherlands for the first time with its new European retail partnerships.

Chinese electric vehicle startup XPeng Inc, announced today it has reached strategic partnerships in both the Netherlands and Sweden to sell its vehicles. As part of the expansion to the two European countries, XPeng will open new retail stores in Europe.

XPeng announced it has reached a strategic agency retail collaboration agreement with automotive retail company Emil Frey Nederland NV ("Emil Frey") for the Netherlands market. Emil Frey is one of the largest automotive retail organizations in the Netherlands and represents 14 different car brands in the country, including global automakers Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Honda and others. 

Emil Frey was tapped to develop XPENG's sales and service network while managing the company's branded retail stores throughout the Netherlands.

XPeng says its new agency retail agreement with Emil Frey marks a major breakthrough for its European expansion, which began in Norway in 2020. Through the partnership, XPeng's customers will benefit from consistent online pricing and access to Emil Frey's well-established service and distribution network.

XPeng plans to open its retail experience store, located in the Westfield Mall of the Netherlands near The Hague, in March 2022. The Westfield Mall is one of the biggest in the country.

In Sweden, XPeng has also reached a retail collaboration agreement with Bilia, the largest automobile dealer and distributor in the Scandinavian country and one of largest car dealers in Europe. Bilia sells vehicles from Volvo, BMW, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Porsche, Nissan and others.

Bilia's retail network includes 58 dealers and 66 service centers in Sweden. The company will help XPeng offer localized products and differentiated services to customers internationally. 

XPeng products will be available through Bilia stores, and serviced at its service centers, initially at locations in the cities of Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö.

In addition, XPeng will officially open its own retail experience store in Sweden this week, which will be its first self-operated retail store in the international market.

To further support its expansion in Europe, XPeng plans to build a combination of self-operated retail stores, alongside the retail and service networks of Emil Frey and Bilia. The two automotive retailers will help XPeng market its electric vehicles in Europe with their deep local knowledge, well-established networks and customer know-how.

"Our global journey starts from Europe, propelled by our commitment to increase smart EV penetration. We strongly support the EV development strategy in Europe and are forging partnerships with top-tier local players to accelerate energy conservation, emission reduction and electrification in Europe," said He Xiaopeng, Chairman and CEO of XPENG.

XPeng's global expansion began when it exported its compact G3 SUV to Europe in Sept 2020, which marked the first time the EV startup sold its electric vehicles outside of its home country of China. Norway remains an important market for XPeng, as well as for its primary competitor Tesla, as the country has Europe's highest EV adoption rate.

In August 2021, XPeng began shipping its flagship P7 sedan to Norway. The P7 is a strong competitor to Tesla's Model S. It marked the first time that XPeng sold its flagship P7 sedan outside China.

As one of the leading EV startups in China, XPeng says it sees tremendous opportunities to expand to global markets. The expansion to Sweden and the Netherlands is the next step in the company's strategy to expand its presence outside of China.

Since its founding in 2014, XPeng continues to gain market share in China, which is the world's biggest auto market.

Last week, XPeng announced it delivered 12,992 EVs in the month of January. It was the company's fifth consecutive month of over 10,000 vehicle deliveries and represents a 115% increase year-over-year.

As of Jan. 31, 2022, XPeng's cumulative deliveries surpassed 150,000 vehicles.

With its expansion in Europe, Xpeng is emerging as a strong competitor to segment leader Tesla, which is now the world's most valuable automaker. XPeng's more affordable EVs offer the same level of technology, including autonomous driving capabilities, for around half the price of a comparably equipped Tesla model.

In November, XPeng unveiled its fourth electric vehicle, the flagship G9 SUV, at the 19th Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition in China. The G9 is one of the most advanced electric vehicles offered by XPeng.

The new battery-powered G9, which on the outside looks like a typical full-size luxury SUV, was conceived and designed from the outset for both domestic Chinese and international markets as XPeng continues its expansion outside of its home country of China. The G9 is XPeng's first full-size electric SUV. 

Since the G9 is also intended for sale in markets outside of China, its compliant with global standards, including C-NCAP in China and the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) 5-star safety design standards. The G9 alos meets more stringent EU WVTA vehicle certification standards.

The G3 SUV was Xpeng's first EV, which launched in 2018 in China. XPeng launched its second model, the P7, in 2020. Deliveries of the company's third model, the P5 fastback, began in Sept 2021.

XPeng is a U.S. listed company. The startup launched its IPO in Aug 2020. The company's shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "XPEV".

Eric Walz

Originally hailing from New Jersey, Eric is a automotive & technology reporter covering the high-tech industry here in Silicon Valley. He has over 15 years of automotive experience and a bachelors degree in computer science. These skills, combined with technical writing and news reporting, allows him to fully understand and identify new and innovative technologies in the auto industry and beyond. He has worked at Uber on self-driving cars and as a technical writer, helping people to understand and work with technology.