EV Startup XPENG Motors Debuts its New P7 Electric Coupe at Auto Shanghai

author: Eric Walz   

The XPENG Motors P7 Coupe

Xpeng Motors is one of the many new electric vehicle startups to emerge in China in the last few years. Today at Auto Shanghai 2019, the company unveiled its latest production model, the P7 intelligent electric coupe.  

The P7 is a sleek, fully-electric four-door coupe, and XPENG loaded the P7 with advanced technology. The P7 features a low silhouette and smooth surfaces, including concealed door handles. The coupe also includes futuristic lighting with a luxurious and generous interior space.

At first look, the P7 sightly resembles a Tesla Model S, which is no surprise since the company said it was inspired by Tesla and studied many of Tesla's open source patents. The P7 is the second vehicle from XPENG,  joining the G3 intelligent SUV in the company's lineup.

"Our visually stunning and technologically groundbreaking models like the P7 demonstrate our determination and commitment to accelerate the development of smart mobility." said He Xiaopeng, Xpeng Motors Chairman & CEO, during the unveiling.

The P7 features all-wheel-drive setup with dual electric motors, reaching 0-60 mph in 4 seconds. New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) range is 372 miles (600 km).

The P7 offers mobile connectivity and Internet integration. The P7's other advanced features include a fusion–based perception for Xpeng's user interface (XUI), which interacts with the driver through voice, touch, and even facial cues through emotional recognition. Using AI and deep-learning, the P7 learn from drivers' habits, preferences, and even moods.

"Xpeng Motors' unique differentiation is its vision and corporate DNA. We intend to harness the power of AI, data integration and smart technology to jumpstart the evolution of the auto sector and enable it with ever greater intelligence," said He Xiaopeng, Xpeng Motors Chairman & CEO, on the unveiling of the P7.

Xpeng has also developed its own independent APP STORE, allowing drivers to download apps to the vehicle for future upgrades and customization.

Powered by NVIDIA DRIVE

In Nov 2018, XPENG announced a partnership with chipmaker Nvidia to jointly develop autonomous driving technology for use on roads in China.

The P7 is built on the automaker's SEPA hardware foundation, which combines the NVIDIA DRIVE Xavier, one of the world's most advanced system-on-a-chip (SoC) for autonomous driving. Also included is Qualcomm's top-of-the-line automotive processor, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820A.

XPENG's XPILOT 3.0 autonomous driving system was specifically developed for China's road conditions, with features adapted for China's crowded city streets. The autonomous driving system features cruise control and lane selection for highways, as well as automatic parking.

According to XPENG, this future-proofed hardware architecture is upgradable for higher levels of autonomous driving.

XPENG is backed by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and others. In August 2018, Xpeng announced it raised 4 billion yuan ($587 million) in its latest fundraising round, valuing the electric car startup at nearly 25 billion yuan.

XPeng said it raised more than 10 billion yuan from investors so far, including the fundraising round in January. The latest round was led by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Foxconn Technology Co Ltd.

The P7 will be manufactured at Xpeng Motors'  factory in Zhaoqing, which is currently under construction. Xpeng Motors is headquartered in Guangzhou, China.

Delivery of the P7 is targeted for 2Q 2020. XPENG started taking reservations today at Auto Shanghai 2019. XPENG said it received over 3,000 orders so far for the P7.

Xpeng plans to have a sales network of more than 100 retail stores by the end of 2019, including both self-operated and authorized retail stores.

The coupe will be on display at Auto Shanghai beginning this week. The show runs until April 25.

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.