According to CNA, China's Xpeng said Thursday that it has entered into a strategic partnership with UAE-based Ali&Sons and added Italy to its plans for Europe as the electric vehicle manufacturer accelerates its overseas expansion.
Brian Gu, Vice Chairman and President of XPENG with H.E. Ali bin Khalfan Al Mutawa Al Dhaheri, Founder and Chairman of Ali&Sons.
The announcement adds to Xpeng's partnerships with local dealers for the Egypt, Azerbaijan, Jordan and Lebanon markets.
Multiple Xpeng models will go on sale in the five Middle East and North African countries starting in the second quarter of this year, the company said in a statement on its WeChat account.
Xpeng will begin offering the G6 and G9 SUV models in the UAE from the third quarter, while deliveries of the P7 sedan and G9 SUV will start in Jordan and Lebanon from the second quarter and in Egypt from the third quarter.
The firm also expanded its European market plans to include Italy. It had previously said it was planning to expand into Germany, Britain and France at the IAA Mobility motor show in Munich last September.
Other than a bigger global footprint, Xpeng also eyed more hiring and artificial intelligence R&D investments, as it seeks to survive what it describes as a "bloody sea" of competition in the world's largest auto market.
About XPENG
XPENG is a global smart electric vehicle company founded in 2014 in Guangzhou, China, developing clean, intuitive, and creative mobility solutions. With industry-leading R&D facilities, XPENG is bringing vehicles with superior safety, electric efficiency, and on-road performance to markets across the globe. The company is constantly working to advance its core technology offering, including autonomous driving capabilities, SEPA 2.0, and captivating in-car infotainment systems. XPENG has headquarters in Guangzhou and Amsterdam, with additional offices in Beijing, Shanghai, and Silicon Valley.
The official note
"February 22, 2024. XPENG Motors (“XPENG” or the “Company,” NYSE: XPEV and HKEX: 9868), a leading Chinese smart electric vehicle (“Smart EV”) company, today announces its latest long-term strategic partnership with UAE dealership group Ali&Sons.
As part of XPENG's international expansion plans, a growing list of new partners from XPENG's strategic markets have joined XPENG in bringing the brand's latest smart EVs to local consumers, including:
Egypt, RAYA
Azerbaijan, SR Group
Jordan, T Gargour and Fils
Lebanon, Gargour Asia SAL
XPENG global market dealer strategy focuses on establishing partnerships with local dealers to create a first-class distribution, sales, and service network in various regions. The partnerships will enable XPENG to bring its latest Smart EVs to local consumers with branded showrooms, after-sales support, and comprehensive guidance through each stage of the buying process.
XPENG will offer the G6 SUV and G9 SUV models in UAE from Q3 2024. Developed for global markets, both the G6 and the G9 are underpinned by XPENG's evolutionary Smart Electric Platform Architecture (SEPA) 2.0 platform, which sets the foundation for future production models while reducing development and manufacturing costs.
XPENG started P7 sedan and G9 SUV deliveries in Israel and Azerbaijan in late 2023. This year, XPENG will start delivering these vehicles in Jordan and Lebanon from Q2, and in Egypt from Q3. The P7 is XPENG's bestseller, with over 100,000 sales in two years since its global launch.
Alex Tang, GM of International Markets, XPENG, said: "The new markets we are announcing today are recognised globally as the nucleus for EV growth, which makes this the natural and forward-thinking next step in our expansion into the EMEA market. At XPENG, our ambition is to become a leading player in the smart EV sector. We are committed not only to developing products that address local customer needs but also to bringing leading technologies and high quality to global customers."
The partnerships mark several "firsts" for XPENG on its road to globalisation, with the UAE being the first market XPENG entered in the Gulf region, along with Azerbaijan as the company's first in Central Asia and Egypt as the first in Africa. Expansion into additional European markets including Germany, the UK, Italy, and France is also set in parallel for this year".
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