XPeng will introduce extended - range technology to models like G7 and MONA. Multiple new cars will compete against Leapmotor and BYD.

XPeng plans to launch two large extended - range vehicles, the G9 and X9, in the fourth quarter of this year. This marks XPeng's first foray into markets beyond pure - electric vehicles.

After the launch of these two models, XPeng will extend its extended - range technology and quickly complete its layout in the mid - and low - end markets that have been validated by competitors. The upcoming G7 and the MONA series will also have extended - range versions.

01. Targeting Both High - end and Low - end Markets

Auto Pixel has exclusively learned that XPeng will launch multiple new extended - range models positioned in the mid - and low - end markets. The new cars are expected to continue the positioning of the MONA series, with the main sales range falling below 150,000 yuan.

Currently, only one sedan, the M03, is available in the MONA series. It is XPeng's best - selling vehicle, contributing over 40% of XPeng's sales in the first half of the year. It is also the most affordable model in XPeng's lineup, competing with BYD's Qin L EV and other models.

The M03 is only available in a pure - electric version. From the second half of this year to next year, the series will release multiple new products, and most of the new cars are planned to have both pure - electric and extended - range versions. We've learned that XPeng is developing at least three other new models in the same series.

XPeng officially announced its extended - range plan for the first time in November 2024. In the past six months, XPeng has gradually revealed its products. The first extended - range vehicle is based on the large SUV G9, and in April this year, it was revealed that an extended - range version of the MPV model X9 would be launched.

Previously, the outside world speculated that XPeng would only adopt extended - range technology in mid - and high - end models to boost the sales of medium - and large - sized products. This is a path that has been proven successful by brands like Li Auto and AITO.

After the MONA M03 established itself in the cost - effective market, XPeng is indeed re - positioning itself in the mid - and high - end markets. We've learned that the production of the P7i at XPeng's Zhaoqing factory is nearing completion, and thereafter, the factory will mainly produce the MONA series.

XPeng will launch two new models to fill the gap left by the P7i. One is a new high - end sedan codenamed E29, which will be produced at a new factory in Huangpu, Guangzhou in the second half of this year. The other is a flagship sedan with a higher positioning, which will be produced at the old Huangpu factory along with the X9 and G9.

However, XPeng's extended - range product plan is clearly more extensive. In addition to the two flagship models officially announced, Auto Pixel has exclusively learned that the upcoming new model, the G7, also has an extended - range version in its plan. 36Kr previously reported that mid - range products like the P7 will also have extended - range versions.

XPeng G7

Currently, XPeng is simultaneously promoting the implementation of extended - range technology in high - end, mid - end, and low - end markets.

He Xiaopeng said at a press conference at the end of last year that if XPeng wants to expand into the global market, it needs to find a new energy - replenishing method other than pure - electric, such as a technology that can achieve a range of over 1000 kilometers, including extended - range hybrid. He refers to XPeng's extended - range technology as "Super Electric" and said that in the future, XPeng will develop on two fronts: "Pure Electric + Super Electric".

However, He Xiaopeng believes that it is no longer meaningful to produce homogeneous extended - range vehicles. Therefore, XPeng's extended - range technology will pursue differentiation, with features such as a longer pure - electric range and a super - quiet engine. The goal is for the noise level of the extended - range engine when it starts to be only a few decibels higher than that of the electric motor. XPeng has named this extended - range technology "Kunpeng Electric".

Now, XPeng's extended - range vehicles will further penetrate into the cost - effective market represented by the MONA series. In this market, which places more emphasis on cost control, we will continue to monitor whether XPeng will still adopt the high - cost large - battery extended - range strategy.

02. Facing Off Against Leapmotor and BYD

XPeng was once considered the most Tesla - like among domestic new - energy vehicle startups. It only produced pure - electric vehicles, followed a pure - vision approach in intelligent driving technology, positioned its products to offer a technological experience, and emphasized the integration of advanced driver - assistance systems across its product line. Under this strategy, XPeng launched the flagship large SUV G9 in 2022 and the G6, which competes with the Tesla Model Y, in 2023. However, their monthly sales remained stagnant.

The failure of the G9 directly pushed XPeng into a slump. Starting from the MONA M03 last year, XPeng changed its strategy and entered the absolute cost - effective market for the first time. The M03 is priced between 119,800 and 139,800 yuan, and its direct competitors include BYD's best - selling models such as the Qin L EV and the Seal 06 EV.

XPeng X9

In June, XPeng delivered 35,000 new vehicles, with sales exceeding 30,000 for eight consecutive months. In the first half of this year, XPeng Motors delivered a total of 197,000 vehicles, surpassing last year's total. It is one of the leading new - energy vehicle startups with significant growth momentum.

XPeng's recovery from the slump is largely attributed to the MONA series. In the first half of this year, the first model in the series, the M03, had cumulative sales of over 80,000 units, making it XPeng's best - selling vehicle. The M03 began deliveries at the end of August last year. Before that, XPeng's monthly sales had dropped below 10,000 units, but then quickly recovered to over 20,000 units and continued to rise.

XPeng has recognized the potential of the cost - effective market. In the first quarter of 2025, the sales volume of passenger cars priced below 150,000 yuan was 3.03 million units, accounting for approximately 60% of the total market share. This is the foundation for the success of the M03.

The most crucial factor in the cost - effective market is cost control. He Xiaopeng has reflected on XPeng's slump from 2022 to 2023 on multiple occasions, stating that internal management issues led to higher procurement costs compared to competitors. In the past two years, He Xiaopeng has addressed these issues, removing 10 senior executives in 2023 and improving overall efficiency, especially in manufacturing and procurement. After addressing these issues, XPeng not only launched the low - priced M03 but also priced the new P7+ and the new G6 several thousand yuan lower than their predecessors.

However, in addition to internal management efficiency, cost control also depends on scale. Once entering the cost - effective market, pursuing scale and cost reduction are almost inevitable. BYD sold 2.15 million vehicles in the first half of this year, more than ten times that of XPeng.

XPeng's goal this year is to achieve profitability in the fourth quarter. More than a month ago, He Xiaopeng, the CEO of XPeng Motors, revealed in a conference call after the third - quarter earnings report that XPeng is confident of achieving a goal of more than doubling its annual sales. The corresponding sales target is approximately 400,000 units.

The popularity of extended - range vehicles has been proven by multiple automakers, with Leapmotor being the most prominent example. The company sold 222,000 vehicles in the first half of this year, with a year - on - year growth rate of approximately 155%. The price positioning of its main models is similar to that of the MONA series.

The number of competitors for the M03 is increasing, such as the Leapmotor B01 and the Geely Galaxy Xingyao 8. The full entry of extended - range vehicles into the cost - effective market is almost a natural extension of XPeng's cost - control strategy and its pursuit of scale. In He Xiaopeng's own words, he wants to be the CEO of a large - scale manufacturing enterprise rather than just a technology company.

This article is from the WeChat official account "Auto Pixel". Author: Xing Ruifang, Editor: Mao Shiyang. Republished by 36Kr with permission.