Already marketed in China, the new Xpeng P5 announces its prices for Europe, very close to those of the Tesla Model 3.
Does Tesla have anything to worry about? For the time being, Elon Musk’s firm still remains at the top of sales in Europe in the electric car segment, while the Model 3 and the Model Y are respectively in first and second position in the ranking. A real success for the Californian manufacturer, while deliveries should intensify over the coming months thanks to the Gigafactory in Berlin.
But now the Californian manufacturer will have to deal with a new rival, straight from China. And for good reason, many Asian brands want to conquer the Old Port, with their ranges of electric vehicles more in line with environmental standards. Especially since the European Union plans to ban the sale of thermal vehicles, and even rechargeable hybrids by 2035.
Less than 50,000 euros
Newcomers to the territory include Xpeng, which is about to land with its all-new P5, an electric sedan that clearly has the Tesla Model 3 in its sights. It will first be marketed in the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, while an arrival in France is not yet in the pipeline. This could nevertheless be the case in the next few years, if success is there.
Anyway, the Chinese firm has just unveiled in a press release the prices of its new electric sedan, which starts from 48,000 euros in the Netherlands. An entry ticket then very close to that of the Model 3. And for good reason, the latter is currently displayed from 51,990 euros in its standard version, still in the Netherlands. The two competitors also have very similar technical characteristics, particularly in terms of autonomy.
Only one release
If several versions are available in China, European customers will have to settle for a single variant, equipped with a 66 kWh battery allowing it to travel 465 kilometers on a single charge (compared to 491 km for the Model 3 Standard Range) , according to the WLTP cycle. This is then done in just 40 minutes on a quick outlet, while the car is also capable of charging electronic devices via the V2L system, which also equips the Kia EV6, among others.
The electric saloon is also equipped with a heat pump, in order to reduce consumption, especially in cold weather, as well as a 450-litre boot supplemented by a 70-litre double bottom and a panoramic roof. There is also talk of a 15.6-inch central screen and 12.3-inch digital instrumentation. A voice assistant is in the game.
Note that if the version marketed in China is equipped with a LIDAR, allowing autonomous driving, but the European version does not have one, being satisfied with standard radars and ultrasonic sensors.
Bookings are open today for Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden, followed by Norway later this spring, the press release says.
To follow us, we invite you to download our Android and iOS application. You can read our articles, files, and watch our latest YouTube videos.