700km Chinese EV targets Tesla

Chinese outfit Xpeng Motors is gunning for Tesla with the launch of its sporty P7 super-long range EV.

Billed as the EV with longest range in China, the P7 can travel 706km (NEDC) on a single charge and is available for immediate order, priced from RMB 229,900 — or about $50,000 Aussie dollars.

The company launched its first production model, the G3 SUV, back in December, 2018.

P7 comes in three versions and eight different configurations, with customer deliveries set to start at the end of June.

“Today is a milestone in the five-year history of Xpeng Motors,” Chairman and CEO, He Xiaopeng, said.

“The P7’s launch solidifies Xpeng Motors’ leading position in China’s smart EV market.

“Our ability to launch the P7 in the challenging conditions of the COVID-19 crisis is a testament to the strength of our young company.”

With superior autonomy and connectivity, the Xpeng P7 incorporates many firsts.

It’s the first L3 autonomous-ready production vehicle in the Chinese market
With a world-leading 706km range it can accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 4.3 seconds
First production model in any market to be powered by NVIDIA’s DRIVE AGX Xavier system-on-a-chip that delivers 30 trillion operations per second

The CATL high-density, slim-profile, prismatic battery pack is 110mm thick, with an 80.9kWh capacity and energy density that reaches 170Wh/kg.

With fast charging it can go from 30 to 80 per cent capacity in 28 mins, delivering 120km range in 10 mins; with China’s first remote-controlled concealed charging plug.

Supercharging stations have already reached 164 contracted and signed units across 35 cities, while third party charging pile networks that support the car number some 200,000 plus units across China.

The intelligent cockpit is designed to interact with driver and passengers through voice commands, infotainment, and a concert hall-standard 600 watt Dynaudio surround-sound audio.

A panoramic glass roof, frameless doors, and a low-profile console offer wide-angle views in all directions.

Nappa leather is available for an extra touch of luxury.

Both the XPILOT3.0 and XPILOT2.0 autonomous driving systems work concurrently to provide complete redundancy.

XPILOT3.0 reaches high levels of functional safety to offer guaranteed stability and security, and is designed and benchmarked to C-NCAP 5-star standards.

P7’s multiple front, side and rear-facing cameras offer a 180 degree plus field of view, following tight curves and recognising vehicles cutting in at close quarters.

P7 is equipped with the industry’s first new-generation forward-looking millimeter wave radar sensors, with detection distance over 200 metres, offering market-leading accuracy and angle of view, effectively penetrating rain, fog and haze to perceive surroundings in reduced visibility conditions.

Smart gets bigger and smarter

Four more high-performance millimeter wave radars are positioned at each corner – an industry-leading configuration.

P7’s lane-level positioning function is backed by AutoNavi’s high-definition high-precision maps with high-level accuracy.

GPS/RTK/IMU positioning hardware allows positioning accuracy to the centimetre level, or less than 0.3 per cent thanks to real-time positioning map construction technology (SLAM).

These complementary features effectively enhance the stability and safety of autonomous driving on overpasses, in tunnels or under bad weather conditions.

Coupled with the precise control capabilities brought by Bosch iBooster, the car has a suite of advanced ADAS functions, including navigation-guided pilot (NGP) for highways, traffic light recognition assistance and the first production model to feature memory parking for car parks.

P7 will be available through Xpeng’s growing sales network, already some 113 outlets across 57 cities, and its service network of 73 stores in 52 cities.

4WD High Performance	0-100km/h in 4.3 seconds	$A 73,806 – 75,977
RWD Super-Long Range:	656km – 706km NEDC	$A 55,349 – 60,132
RWD Long Range	568km NEDC	$A 49,925 – 56,440