Xpeng says China close to building ‘killer’ rival to Tesla Model Y

Xpeng has said China will soon produce a “killer” electric vehicle that will beat Tesla’s best-selling Model Y as the Volkswagen-backed carmaker seeks to take on Elon Musk in Europe. Tesla has come under strong pressure from BYD and other Chinese EV makers but six years after its launch its Model Y sport utility vehicle remains the top-selling EV in many parts of the world as well as the second most popular in China. “I think we’re not far from beating Model Y,” Xpeng co-founder He Xiaopeng said at a vehicle launch event in Munich, signalling a rival model could come from Chinese carmakers. “I really believe in that.” Xpeng is one of the more technology-focused new EV start-ups in China, with bold ambitions to compete against the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz in Europe’s premium car segment with its advanced software and autonomous technology. Despite the proliferation of EVs in China, no single electric model has disrupted the global car market in the same way that Musk has done with

Xpeng has said China will soon produce a “killer” electric vehicle that will beat Tesla’s best-selling Model Y as the Volkswagen-backed carmaker seeks to take on Elon Musk in Europe. Tesla has come under strong pressure from BYD and other Chinese EV makers but six years after its launch its Model Y sport utility vehicle remains the top-selling EV in many parts of the world as well as the second most popular in China. “I think we’re not far from beating Model Y,” Xpeng co-founder He Xiaopeng said at a vehicle launch event in Munich, signalling a rival model could come from Chinese carmakers. “I