XPENG Center in Australia Launches in Sydney – CleanTechnica

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The EV story of the year is the expansion of Chinese electric vehicle companies across the world. The latest chapter in that story is XPENG setting up a big new headquarters in Australia. It’s the first XPENG center in the Southern Hemisphere.

XPENG launched the G6 in Australia a few months ago. But the new 3,000-m² Australia HQ is clearly a power move that shows the company’s commitment to the hot EV market.

“The center is located in a prime position, 2 Sir Reginald Ansett Drive Mascot NSW 2020, which is at the entrance to Sydney Airport’s domestic precinct, providing customers with an immersive, hands-on experience of the brand’s advanced electric vehicles.” I cannot say anything about the pros and cons of this location, but will take XPENG’s word for it. “Visitors will have the opportunity to test drive a range of XPENG models, learn about the brand’s groundbreaking technology, and explore the future of mobility.”

TrueEV is XPENG’s partner for importing, distributing, and selling the company’s EVs in Australia. It was a partner host at the event yesterday as well. “Influencers, media, and XPENG’s partners in Australia gathered together to witness the unveiling of a new era of electric mobility in Australia,” XPENG writes. It sounds exciting, and it looks exciting, but I think the era was already underway. It’s great to get an infusion of business and enthusiasm from a noted global EV company, but the doors of the EV era in Australia had already been thrown open.

XPENG did share more new partnerships in the country during the event, and is clearly focused on serious expansion. It appears to me XPENG wants to become something like a BMW or Mercedes of the EV era Down Under.

“We just confirmed the dealer partnerships with Autopact, Australia’s second-largest dealer group headquartered in Queensland, and Jackson Motor Group, located in Tasmania, which will further increase XPENG’s reach in Australia,” said Jason Clarke. “And we are going to open three additional XPENG centers by the end of 2024, including locations in Wollongong (New South Wales), Port Melbourne (Victoria), and North Coburg (Victoria). These XPENG centers are part of a broader plan to expand the brand’s footprint across Australia, with 20 locations slated to open by the end of 2025.” Now is the time to pounce in order to try to gobble up market share, and XPENG is pouncing. Does it have the timing and strategy just right? We’ll see.

“Australia is an uprising market for electric vehicles, as it opens to a faster transition to greener mobility,” said James Wu. “The country’s vast landscape and the eco-friendly living philosophy of Australians create tremendous demands for high-quality EVs, and XPENG can provide the best in that sector.”

Personally, I think XPENG could become a huge hit and a major brand in Australia. It’s been one of my favorite EV brands for a few years, and it’s constantly leading on tech, design, and overall innovation. It has scaled up pretty nicely in China, and it needs markets that are open minded and eager for EVs. That seems to describe Australia well. XPENG seems to offer superb, top-tier EV tech at attractive prices. I expect Australians to put many of its vehicles in their garages and driveways.

In case anyone is wondering why David Waterworth, our Australian correspondent, isn’t covering this one, it’s because he’s waiting for XPENG to come to his region of Australia in order to experience its EVs and review them as usual. Stay tuned.