There are plenty of misconceptions running around about Chinese car quality. But with many ancient artifacts that survived thousands of years buried in the elements, it’s no wonder the Chinese can also deliver the level of quality displayed at the 2019 Shanghai auto show. Is China getting closer to the US market in terms of quality with new, smarter EV startups?
Xpeng invited us to come to the Auto Shanghai show to see how well its electric G3 was doing in China. I previously visited its San Jose USA headquarters, where part of its autonomous driving research department develops the G3 and now P7 experience. That’s where I met Xpeng’s founder and owner, Mr. He Xiapeng. I was surprised to discover the company’s wise strategy and took it as a sign of changing times for mobility startups.
Chinese EV startup Xpeng, formerly known as Xiaopeng, has begun selling its innovative G3 electric SUV in China. As we indicated a few weeks ago from an auto show in China, the electric vehicle’s launch date in the Red Dragon was December 12, and it seems that announcement was accurate.
The Guangzhou Motor Show is like the Chinese auto industry as a whole. It’s huge, it’s confusing (to a foreigner there for the first time), and it’s full of electric vehicles. As someone who’s been paying attention to the North American and, to a lesser extent, European EV scene for a dozen years, visiting the show in Guangzhou this past week was a revelation. I mean, how many new alphanumeric EV names can you cram into your brain in a matter of hours?
Ah, to be in your early 40s and have about 1 billion yuan ($155 million) burning a hole in your pocket! That is exactly what’s happening with Xiaopeng Motors chairman He Xiaopeng’s clothing, so he is now betting his fortune on yet another Tesla killer (YATK).
