China's Tesla receives $400 million in capital from Xiaomi

I should make it clear from the outset that this article has nothing to do with the Chinese plant of the American Tesla company, but only with the history of the Chinese car manufacturer Xpeng, which has a similar American counterpart.

The Xpeng (Xiaopeng) brand is not unfamiliar to our regular readers, as it has been around for nearly also reported 2 years ago about the young electric car manufacturer, which at the time was still an emerging status. Xpeng is the second car manufacturer in the Xiaomi ecosystem. We hadn't heard from the community-funded brand, which Xiaomi "patronised", for a while, but today the world press has been given a change.

Tesla and electric cars

It is well known that the electric car revolution is linked to Tesla, because before Elon Musk, there were no mass-produced cars on the market specifically designed for electric drive. Nowadays, when everything is about global warming and climate catastrophe, green transport is a hot topic. With more and more smog-ridden cities in China, India and Afghanistan in the press, it is becoming increasingly urgent to find a way to stop the damaging effects of irreversible climate change on our planet.

Xiaomi's goal

Since its inception, Xiaomi has been working hard to make life more livable, not just for the Chinese people, who are facing unbearable lives due to global warming and poor air quality, but also to provide products that help make our lives more livable around the world. You can think of air purifiers, but water purifiers and mouth masks are products that you may have come across.

Although they do not yet use exclusively renewable energy for production, the future is to make their products as green as possible.

Background on Xpeng

Many of you will have seen the Xiaomi electric scooter or the Ninebot self-balancing scooter, which we have tried and liked. The electric car business started investing heavily about 2 years ago Xiaomi CEO. He's probably the most like Elon Musk in terms of living geniuses.

Xiaomi has therefore embraced the Xpeng brand and, in addition to providing financial support, attracting investors and establishing sales channels, has also offered researchers and development teams for the new models.
The Forbes also reported on the recent news that it has succeeded in raising $400 million in Series C equity financing for the manufacturer. This has secured the future of the manufacturer, allowing it to start pre-production and sales.

The Xpeng G3 model has already made its debut as a study in 2018, as we reported earlier.

The model range has now grown to two, with the electric G3 SUV and a very impressive sedan, the P7, launched in the spring.

Xpeng P7 and G3

The Xpeng brand tends to be talked about in China as a rival to Tesla, which might be true in a few years. Some of the patents are public, battery cells are being produced and developed by several Chinese companies, and there is plenty of factory capacity and raw materials.

Xpeng P7

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Xpeng is less a copycat, more a feverish innovator. To do this, it uses the latest technological advances, whether it's gesture control, an advanced 360-degree camera system, or a personal assistant combined with artificial intelligence and self-driving mode. The manufacturer has developed its own operating system called Xmart OS.

This P7 made its debut at the Shanghai Motor Show in April this year. It also features XPILOT 3.0 autonomous driving technology based on the ADAS system.

The Xpeng P7 can therefore change lanes automatically on motorways, for example, but still requires the active presence of the driver to intervene whenever necessary. Automatic parking, on the other hand, no longer requires turning the steering wheel or stepping on the pedal.

The previous model, the G3 The SUV has 12 ultrasonic sensors, 5 HD cameras and an infrared camera, and also uses a 3D roof-mounted camera to see the car's surroundings at any time of day or in any weather conditions.

In addition to 12 ultrasonic sensors, the P7 model now has 13 cameras, several of which monitor the interior, mainly the driver. 4 of these cameras have a 360-degree view.
XiaoAI also makes up the electronics on the front of the cars. This is Xiaomi's own AI system, and there is close development cooperation between the two companies in this area.

In about a year's time, the Xpeng P7 will be available for purchase, and we hope it won't be years before it's available in Europe. How Xiaomi can help with sales outside China remains to be seen.

For more information about the Xpeng brand, visit on the manufacturer's website, and on their YouTube channel you will find.