EV Startup Boasts How Apple, Tesla Are Sparking Innovation in China

Xpeng Motors

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Automaker Telsa is currently working on an ambitious global expansion plan that will see it bring its electric cars to China in the near future.

Elon Musk and co are thought to be planning an assault on the Chinese electric vehicle market, which is currently going through a period of growth.

In February, the country’s government unveiled new subsidies for companies developing electronic vehicles that are capable of making long journeys after a single charge.

Tesla is just one of many companies to benefit from the announcement, and a leading Chinese electric vehicle maker believes that the company’s decision to expand to China is a good thing.

Speaking to CNBC, Brian Gu – vice chairman and president of Xpeng Motors – compared Tesla’s China expansion to Apple’s operations in the nation.

“Tesla reminds me of Apple. It educated the high-end market for China, but it also spurred a lot of competitive, diverse brands like Xiaomi and Huawei to come up with really cool and affordable products,” he said.

He believes that when Telsa enters the Chinese electric vehicle market, it will encourage greater homegrown innovation. Gu said it will just be like the iPhone causing Chinese OEMs to become more competitive.

Gu added: “I think Xpeng has a different approach because we are local, a lot of our features are designed for the China market. So we feel like we are a lot more local and we can take on Tesla in this market.”

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