Tesla Killer? XPeng G6 Puts Elon on Notice! I test drive the RHD version & discuss this fantastic EV

[@trashken]

Very well made! So did you put in an order for one?

[@ancientbiker]

Thank you very much. Hhhhmm, may have to wait for my lottery winnings first :)

[@alphaomega1969]

Tesla FSD is level 2 and Nio, Xpeng, are level 4 and BYD is level 3

[@waynerm002]

The Xpeng G6 is a really nice car from all the reviews I’ve seen, it nice they have a screen in front of the driver but, it seems they are targeting Tesla Model Y in how they designed and built this car. From videos I’ve seen, it seems to drive well, is quiet inside and have some pretty good autopilot system that they keep improving. I am baffled though that manufacturers design these things to turn off if your hand isn’t detected, rather than have it activate the hazard lights, slow down and safely pull to the side of the road. Sharp corners still seem to be an issue with these systems, my e-tron would slow down for any corners and if too sharp, would warn you to take over, this seems to be an issue for all of these systems.

[@ancientbiker]

Well I guess that all these autopilot systems are still in their infancy. Am sure that with AI they will rapidly improve.

[@waynerm002]

@@ancientbiker Let’s hope so.

[@Fomites]

It will be hard for Tesla to compete with this. The G6 will probably sell here in Australia for about AU$54 000 entry level. Tesla Model Y entry level is currently AU$56 000 with way less features.

[@ancientbiker]

Yes. As I said in the video I am very new to this theme of EVs, but I get the huge excitement around this model as well as some other Chinese EVs. Australia is probably one of the most open markets in the world because - along with Norway - it has no indigenous car industry and is not part of the US or EU blocs which dictate policy on anti Chinese tariffs. So the Xpeng probably has more chance of success where you are than in many parts of the world. In the short term the Chinese will establish their dominance in South America, Russia and the rest of Asia.

[@someuser7501]

@ancientbiker The Xpeng G6 has been selling in China since April 2023 but it hasn't had strong sales compared to Tesla. Xpeng as a company is lucky to sell 3,500 cars a week while Tesla does over 13,000 in China. BTW the Tesla Model Y was the top selling car model overall in China in 2023..(and that includes outselling ALL gasoline car models too!!!). A very historic achievement for Tesla in China's crowded and competitive EV market. BTW the iPhone was the top selling phone in China in 2023.

[@ancientbiker]

It seems that, at the moment, BYD is Tesla's main competitor in China. Tesla's sales seem to be stagnant, or at least not growing. Cut and pasted an analysis of BYD vs Tesla: BYD Sales BYD sold a record 373,083 vehicles in August, up 36% vs. a year earlier and 9% vs. July's 342,383. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) continued to be the main driver, buoyed by a new advanced hybrid system that offers much-longer range. Of the 370,854 passenger EVs, BYD sold 222,384 PHEVs, a sixth straight record high and up 73.1% vs. a year earlier and 5.5% vs. July. Fully battery electric vehicles (BEVs) came in at 148,470, up 1.95% vs. a year earlier and 14.2% vs. July. There had been some buzz that the EV giant's sales would near 400,000. BYD may still be somewhat production constrained as it races to meet demand, especially for hybrids. Output was 366,973, below sales once again, with some evidence that official sales were below actual deliveries. Overseas sales were 31,451, up 25.7% vs. a year earlier and 4.8% vs. July. In addition to exports, BYD has a new plant in Thailand, its first full assembly plant outside China. The EV giant has plans for a number of overseas plants, including Brazil, Hungary and Turkey. Commercial vehicles, including buses, delivery trucks and more, shot up to 2,229, up 643% vs. a year earlier and 40.7% vs. July. So far in 2024, BYD has sold 2,328,449 vehicles. It looks set to easily pass the company's official target of 3.6 million EVs, and might reach an unofficial goal of four million. Over the last three months, BYD has sold 1,057,137 EVs. Overall vehicle sales are well more than double those of Tesla, but the latter still has a slim edge in BEV sales. Last Wednesday, BYD reported Q2 earnings rose 32% to 43 cents a share, in line with views. Sales jumped 26% to $24.2 billion, but missed forecasts. BYD launched a few more models Friday at the Changdu auto show, including a hatchback and new minivan. BYD stock fell 1.6% to 30, back to a cup-with-handle buy point of 30. jumped 5.2% to 30.50 last week, including Friday's 4.3% rally. Shares cleared the 50-day line and a cup-with-handle buy point of 30. BYD is up 10.2% so far in 2024, the only EV maker that's positive for the year. BYD, which trades over the counter in the U.S., is not yet trading Tuesday.

[@someuser7501]

@ancientbiker BYD was already selling 500,000 cars a year in China WAY back in 2011 when Tesla didn't even have any factories up and running anywhere in the world. BYD isn't Tesla's main competitor in China. Tesla is BYD's main competitor in China. It's always been that way. To have the Tesla Model Y come out of nowhere to snatch up the #1 car model in China for 2023 (not the Xpeng G6 nor any BYD model BTW) is mind blowing considering it is $35,000+ car!!!! and there are literally dozens of auto makers in China with far far far lower priced cars. I happen to own a 2023 Model Y (in the US). BYD's overall sales are up but their Battery Electric Vehicle sales are also flat like Tesla's. It's their hybrids that are mostly spiking up.

[@ancientbiker]

@@someuser7501 As you know, I am very new to this whole subject of EVs. I am not trying to knock Tesla (the video title is just a classic KZbin hook). For me - as an outsider - Tesla and its cars has always been very impressive. I think that - apart from anything else - Tesla illustrates the vital importance of SOFTWARE (navigation, self parking, auto pilot and even automatic reservation of their own proprietary charging network) for success in the EV market. Perhaps this is the main reason why VW and other legacy carmakers failed (no software expertise) and why Xiaomi has come from nowhere with a serious challenger, because Xiaomi started life as a software developer. I think this whole EV market is extremely dynamic and differs greatly around the world. In Europe, and in Germany in particular, the market seems to be stagnating but in China it is booming. I think we can expect to see radical changes within a very short timespan.

[@someuser7501]

Why are you going on a strange tangent with Xiaomi for an Xpeng review???? Are you conflating the two companies or something?

[@ancientbiker]

Sorry, no i wasn't conflating them. I was really just trying to illustrate how both of these extremely new / young Chinese companies have taken huge market shares within just a very few years. I wanted to contrast the success (or lack of it) of 90 year old "legacy" car companies like VW with brand new Chinese car companies which are taking the market not only domestically in China but globally too. When you look at Xiaomi's car it's hard to imagine that it was made by a software / phone company which is less than 15 years old.