Xpeng legal fight ends before it begins

Xpeng has emerged the victor in its messy Australian legal stoush, with the Federal Court dismissing action brought by former distributor TrueEV after the local company failed to stump up a court-ordered security bond.

The dismissal on August 20 ends a fight that had been headed for an October 2026 trial, and leaves the Chinese EV brand’s factory-backed operation in sole control of local distribution – with TrueEV no longer staking a claim to the badge in Australia.

The October trial hinged on TrueEV paying a $1.26 million security bond in two tranches. On August 12 the Federal Court handed the company a further week to pay the second tranche, but it ultimately failed to do so.

This brought the proceedings to an end and, effectively, ended TrueEV’s bid to reclaim the brand.

TrueEV introduced Xpeng to Australia in 2024 under a five-year exclusive distribution deal, launching the G6 electric SUV – a rival to the Tesla Model Y and Zeekr 7X – with plans to add the X9 electric people-mover.

But on January 1, 2026, Xpeng told TrueEV it would terminate that exclusivity and switch to a direct factory-backed model under its own company, Xpeng Australia and New Zealand, or Xpeng ANZ.

TrueEV launched legal proceedings in March 2026, the same month receivers were appointed over Xpeng stock held by TrueEV Distribution, according to filings with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).

Xpeng ANZ formally kicked off its factory-backed operation on April 1, promising the new retail model would help its sales and service network function better.

In May, TrueEV chief executive Jason Clarke wrote to customers apologising for poor communication and assuring them warranty and servicing would continue through local dealers while the battle played out.

The distributor also published a ‘True Facts and Timeline’ on the then TrueEV-run Xpeng.com.au, claiming it had poured more than $60 million into establishing the brand and its dealer network locally.

For consumers, the result draws a line under a period in which Xpeng had two customer-facing operations. The Xpeng.com.au site once run by TrueEV now redirects to shop.xpeng.com.au, while Xpeng.com/au is Xpeng ANZ’s official Australian home.

Buyers who purchased through TrueEV before the switch are covered too, with Xpeng confirming it will honour previous cashback incentives.

With the courtroom drama behind it, Xpeng ANZ plans to focus on a serious model onslaught.

Following last month’s effective relaunch – headlined by the updated Xpeng G6 – four new models are due by early next year, including the just-launched seven-seat X9 people-mover, the mid-sized L03 SUV and the G9L large SUV, a rival to the Kia EV9 and Volvo EX90.

The L05 SUV lands in early 2027, with the flagship GX – a luxury alternative to the Zeekr 9X – also confirmed.

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