In the race of growing electric market XPeng Motors has unveiled a new SUV – The G7 that will compete directly with the world’s best-selling BEV.
Although XPeng Motors and Tesla operate in different countries, they are often compared in the EV space. When XPeng first debuted in China, its early BEV designs faced criticism for looking similar to Tesla’s models. Tesla even filed a lawsuit against a former employee, alleging the theft of its Autopilot source code, which it claimed was shared with XPeng. However, the case was settled in 2021 between the former employee and Tesla, with XPeng itself not directly involved in the litigation.
While Tesla continues to dominate global BEV sales, XPeng Motors is making significant strides, expanding beyond China into markets like Europe and unveiling innovative models along the way. One of its standout models is the G6 SUV, launched in summer 2023. A 2025 facelift for the G6 is reportedly in the works, transitioning from LiDAR sensors to a pure vision camera system, aligning with Tesla’s approach.
Interestingly, recent spy images reveal what looks like a redesigned Tesla Model Y undergoing winter testing, and its updated design bears a striking resemblance to the XPeng G6. Shortly after these Model Y images surfaced, XPeng Motors unveiled images of its upcoming SUV, the G7. Like the G6, the G7 appears to be positioned as a direct competitor to Tesla’s top-selling Model Y.
It might be purely coincidental, but XPeng Motors seems to have strategically timed the unveiling of its new G7 SUV to coincide with Tesla’s latest developments, perhaps attempting to share the spotlight in the EV news cycle. In a recent internal letter, XPeng founder, chairman, and CEO He Xiaopeng outlined ambitious goals for 2025 and beyond, including the plan to introduce a new or refreshed model every quarter this year. Given this aggressive strategy, the surprise unveiling of the G7 might not be entirely unexpected after all.
The images that shown above are the first look at the G7 SUV, posted by XPeng on Weibo earlier today with the following caption:
Xiaopeng G7 may be the most powerful SUV in the 250,000-level this year! With high appearance, full AI configuration, and leading technology, it is still a space monster and is definitely the first choice for family users!
The 250,000 RMB price point mentioned, approximately $34,100, likely represents the expected starting price for the XPeng G7. For context, Tesla’s Model Y RWD in China starts at 249,900 RMB, while the AWD Performance version reaches up to 354,900 RMB ($48,400). Positioned between the XPeng G6 and G9 SUVs, the G7 is another strong contender directly challenging Tesla’s dominance in the Chinese EV market.
