XPeng has announced that it has entered into agreements with China Auto Rental and Xiaolinggou Travel Technology to supply them with its P7 vehicles. China Auto Rental will be responsible for operating the vehicles, while Xiaolinggou will be responsible for purchasing them.
The first P7s for this partnership are already in operation in five cities in China, and the service will also be available in Guangzhou before the Chinese New Year holiday. XPeng signed the strategic partnership on January 9 and completed the delivery of the first vehicles in Ningbo, Zhejiang province.
XPeng’s P7 electric vehicle has gained popularity in China’s EV market and will offer consumers a new, environmentally-friendly and smart mobility experience, according to Wang Tong, the vice president of XPeng.
The company is looking to expand its cooperation with Xiaolinggou and China Auto Rental and explore more partnerships in EV experience, test driving, after-sales service, and charging, Wang added. Xiaolinggou, an asset operation platform for rental companies, decided to purchase a large number of XPeng’s smart cars because it believes they represent the future of transportation and will enhance the user experience, said Jiang Zhichun, the company’s president.
This marks the second time in the past year that XPeng has entered into agreements with mobility service providers. On July 19, 2022, XPeng entered into a strategic partnership with eHi Car Services and delivered the first few hundred vehicles to the company.
These vehicles were put into operation in seven cities in the summer of 2022. XPeng’s decision to enter the mobility services market is notable because using vehicles in this market typically diminishes brand image. However, XPeng’s move allows the P7 to increase its market share and may hasten the release of a facelift for the sedan.
Xpeng sells 120,757 units electric vehicles in 2022, up 24 % from 2021. The company delivered 11,292 electric vehicles (EVs) to customers in December, a 94% increase from November.
Of those deliveries, 4,020 were the flagship G9 SUVs, a 160% increase from the previous month. In total, XPENG delivered 22,204 vehicles during the fourth quarter of 2022. As of December 31, 2022, the company had delivered 120,757 vehicles, a 23% year-over-year increase.