Xpeng Joins China's Invasion of U.K.'s Tariff-Free Auto MarketXpeng Joins China's Invasion of U.K.'s Tariff-Free Auto Market

Xpeng is the latest Chinese maker of battery-electric vehicles to launch commercial operations in the zero-emission U.K. market.

It joins Stellantis’ joint Venture Leapmotor International, BYD, MG, Great Wall Motor’s Ora, Omoda, Aiways, Chery, Jaecoo, Maxus and Skywell already mopping up BEV sales with their cheap products free from any punitive tariffs applied in the European Union now that the U.K. is outside of the trading bloc.

Many industry observers view the U.K. as a litmus test of what will happen to domestic automakers facing a tariff-free Chinese invasion while the government maintains its mandated ban on all but zero-emission new-car sales by 2030.

Xpeng is, with BYD, the only Chinese automaker claiming to be profitable and kicks off with sales of its first right-hand-drive model.

This is the U.K.-specification Xpeng G6, a midsize coupe entering the market at just £39,990 ($49,550) and with enough on-board technology to directly compete against Tesla’s Model Y currently trading in the country with a base price of £44,990 ($55,745).

During its official launch in London, Xpeng also showcased other BEVs it may be bringing to the U.K. market including the P7+, claimed to be the world's first artificial intelligence-defined vehicle; the flagship G9; the 7-seater people carrier X9; and even the eVTOL X2 flying car made by its subsidiary Xpeng Aeroht.

Since entering the European market in Norway in 2021, Xpeng is also operating in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal and Ireland. The automaker says it plans to be operating in more than 60 countries and regions by the end of 2025.

At the launch, Brian Gu, Xpeng vice chairman and president, says: “Our launch in the U.K., in partnership with International Motors, marks a significant step in Xpeng’s European and global expansion. We are excited to bring a new era of smarter, more sustainable mobility to the U.K. market and globally.”