XPeng looks to sell right-hand drive electric vehicle in Hong Kong

Chinese electric vehicle maker XPeng (NYSE:XPEV) took a major step in selling right-hand driving EVs through its distribution partnership with Sime Darby group of Malaysia.

Notably, Sime Darby Motors aims to open a flagship store in Hong Kong to sell XPeng’s right-hand drive version of its G6 sport-utility vehicle and X9 multipurpose vehicle later this year. That would make XPeng (XPEV) the first major Chinese automaker to build vehicles with specifications for local customers in areas such as Hong Kong and Macau.

“Today marks a major milestone in XPeng’s go-global strategy,” stated XPeng President Brian Gu. “With our advanced smart driving technology and innovative mobility solutions, we are committed to providing Hong Kong car owners with smarter, more convenient and environmentally friendly driving experiences,” he added.

Industry watch: Sales of electric passenger vehicles in China rose 10.5% year-over-year in March to 1.03M units, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association. For Q1, electric vehicle sales rose 14.7% year-over-year, which was the slowest pace seen since Q2 of 2023. Overall, new energy vehicles including all-electric models and plug-in hybrids made up 41.5% of overall passenger car sales in March, which jumped 5.7% to 1.71M vehicles.

Shares of XPeng (XPEV) rose 3.15% in premarket trading on Wednesday to cut into the year-to-date loss for the EV stock of more than 40%.