Smart electric car maker Xiaopeng Motors said on Thursday that it has signed cooperation agreements with two sales agencies in the Netherlands and Sweden, that is, Xiaopeng will officially sell cars in the Netherlands and Sweden.
It is reported that Xiaopeng will cooperate with Emil Frey, one of Europe's largest auto retail agencies, in the Netherlands, and Emile Frey will develop Xiaopeng's sales and service network and manage its brand stores across the country. In Sweden, Bira, the country's largest car dealer and distributor, will be Xiaopeng's local agent, selling its cars and providing services. Xiaopeng will also open its first self-operated European store in Stockholm this week, hoping to take advantage of the high attention and use of electric vehicles in European countries to strengthen its "going out" strategy.
Source: Xinhua News Agency
Xiaopeng Co-founder and CEO He Xiaopeng said in a statement: "Based on our commitment to the use of smart electric vehicles, our global journey begins in Europe. We strongly support Europe's electric vehicle development strategy and are forging partnerships with top local companies to accelerate energy conservation, emission reduction and electrification in Europe. ”
Xiaopeng is seen as one of Tesla's top three competitors in China. Since exporting the first 100 G3 battery-powered SUVs to Norway in late 2020, Xiaopeng has been working to expand its footprint in Europe. In August 2021, the company announced that its flagship model, the P7, will also be sold in Norway. The p7 sold abroad is equipped with locally adapted features, including a combined toll system port that complies with European standards, an English language interface, and a voice assistant.
Gao Shen, an independent analyst in Shanghai, said: "China's leading intelligent electric vehicle assembly company has not yet become a major competitor in the European market. But as they continue to invest to compete for greater market share, they may gradually increase their brand awareness and expand their customer base. ”
Source: Agence France-Presse
For example, Xiaopeng reported sales of 36 cars in Norway last December, and data provider Elbilstatistick shows that NIO sold 67 vehicles in the same month. Compared to Tesla's 4,346 unit shipments, sales of both cars dwarf each other.
The Chinese government aims to become a global electric vehicle giant, allowing top domestic companies to master the core technologies and have a huge market share outside of China. Xiaopeng, Weilai and Ideal Automobile reported that the total sales of electric vehicles last year were 280,000, 13% lower than Tesla. Tesla's sales more than doubled in 2021 to 321,000 units.