China’s XPeng within weeks of confirming another luxury EV for Australia

Yet another high-end people-mover could be signed off for Australia within weeks thanks to a substantial level of local interest being shown in the XPeng X9.

If it does get the green light importer TrueEV is pushing for, it would be the third model from the Chinese luxury brand to be confirmed for Australia.

It would join the mid-size XPeng G6 Tesla Model Y fighter that launches in September and follow closely onto the local market the large G9 SUV that is expected to arrive in 2025.

It would shape as a logical rival for another Chinese luxury electric people-mover that is already confirmed to arrive in Australia before the end of 2024, the Zeekr 009, as well as the LDV Mifa 9 that’s already on-sale here across three models priced from $104,000 to $129,000.

The Zeekr 009 is forecast to launch in Australia for around $150,000, pitching it against the Lexus LM hybrid that starts north of $160,000.

While not confirmed, the X9 is on the official XPeng Australia website and that is where local interest has become apparent, with hundreds of expressions of interest lodged.

“X9 is firming because we need to prove demand,” said Jason Clarke, the CEO of TrueEV.

“We have had a healthy level of expressions of interest in not even two weeks [of the X9 being on the website].

“XPeng are warming, they keep asking me … because they want to do it.

“I would say in six to eight weeks we will be saying formally if this is going to be part of the range.”

Clarke had previously spoken more bullishly to carsales about the X9, but at last week’s Melbourne EV Expo admitted there were still business case considerations including the cost of Aussie certification.

“They do right-hand drive for Hong Kong but there is a lot of work to get to Australian specs,” Clarke said.

“We know their budget to give us Australian right-hand drive. They want to because it’s their flagship in China, I think they’re doing around 2000 units a month.”

Clarke suggested TrueEV might even be asked by XPeng to contribute to X9 development costs for Australia, something which hadn’t happened with the G6 and G9.

“I sense we are going to be on the hook to support them with that,” he said.

The X9 was part of a comprehensive XPeng display at the expo over the weekend.

Also on show were the G6, G9, the P7 scissor door sedan and XPeng’s AeroHT flying car.

But it was noticeable the X9 was probably equal with the G9 behind the G6 in terms of how much interest was being displayed by punters at the show.

“This is its first public showing,” said Clarke. “We will be taking it on the road in Sydney, doing some promos with it, some pop-ups and if we can prove demand they [XPeng] will support us.

“This doesn’t look like a van. It’s a bit sexier, so that’s what I like,” he added.

“The features are there: drop-down screen, lie-flat massage chairs and a fridge in there.”

The Australian people-mover market is dominated by the petrol and diesel Kia Carnival priced from $50,150 to $72,910, which is has accounted for 5605 of 7586 sales in the segment to the end of July 2024.

Eight LDV Mifa 9s have been sold this year and 182 Lexus LMs.

The X9 is 5.3 metres long and is XPeng’s only seven seat vehicle, although the G9 is available as a 5+2.

There are front- and all-wheel drive X9 models on-sale in China, where pricing starts at the equivalent of $76,000.

The base model comes with a 235kW/450Nm e-motor mounted on the front axle, an 84.5kWh battery pack and a claimed 610km CLTC range.

A single motor with a 101.5kWh battery bumps the range up to 702km, while the dual e-motor, which adds a rear 135kW/190Nm e-motor to that spec, drops the range to 640km.

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