Chinese electric vehicle start-up Xiaopeng Motors is allegedly getting ready to launch a new crossover which was at least partially made possible due to financing from Xiaomi. That’s according to a report from the company’s home region which says that Xiaomi made its contribution during round three of financing, along with several other companies – including TenCent, Foxxon, and Alibaba Group. It bears mention that, because this is not an announcement directly from Xiaopeng or Xiaomi, the news should be taken with a bit of skepticism. However, if the news turns out to be accurate, the vehicle itself looks promising, based on information and images shared by the source.
As to the vehicle itself, it bears repeating that the images – which have been included below – are renders. That effectively places the vehicle in the concepts category and there is a chance that, even if it is completed, the renders are not an adequate representation of the final product. Bearing that in mind, Xiaopeng’s crossover doesn’t just look promising because it is shown with a decidedly sleek and modern aesthetic right down to the luxury-inspired black leather interior. A BETA version of the crossover is already said to be in testing and, powered by Samsung-made batteries, can achieve a range of just over 186 miles before it needs to be recharged. That range would ultimately be affected by driving style, road condition, and a host of other variables but it isn’t at all a bad start for a start-up-built vehicle effectively falling into the electric SUV category. Meanwhile, on the inside and as shown by the included images, the crossover also features a 15.6-inch touchscreen-enabled infotainment console. That screen also allows drivers to take control of various functions, such as environmental controls and navigation, which would ordinarily be placed behind knobs and buttons in a more standard control panel. That makes sense with consideration for the fact that Tesla Motors and its new Gigafactory are cited as a big source of inspiration for Xiaopeng. However, it also adds an extra layer of technological convenience and modern luxury to the vehicle.
Unfortunately, for now, that’s all the information that is currently available with regard to Xiaopeng’s crossover electric vehicle. As mentioned above, there’s also no guarantee that the vehicle will ever be brought to market or that any of the information provided about it is accurate. Although the source does state that Xiaopeng is likely to officially announce its project in the near future, it is also reportedly still seeking investors in order to take its annual production capabilities up to 100,000 vehicles.
