Range is everything in an electric car, and Xpeng is now claiming its P7 sports sedan can go further on a single charge of all the electric EVs sold in China, Caixin Global reported.
The Chinese EV startup said that the country’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has officially rated the P7 as being able to travel 706 kilometers after testing the car under the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) standards, the report said.
The NEDC is a system used to assess a car’s mileage.
Xpeng attributed the cruising performance to the car’s latest-generation battery pack that provides an energy density of 170Wh/kg, the report said.
Its integrated electric driving system which produces higher efficiency and its low-air resistance coefficient achieved through the installation of a semi-hidden wiper and low-resistance exterior mirrors and wheel rim covers, the report said.
The firm added that it uses aluminum alloy to produce the P7’s upper and lower control arms, steering knuckles and damper forks in order to further reduce the car’s weight, the report said.
The air grille and near flat low wind resistance chassis have been refined to reach an ultra-low wind resistance coefficient, after more than 30 optimization schemes implemented, the report said.
Also, the iBooster intelligent braking assist system provides the P7 with optimum pedal feel, more accurate braking force, and longer cruising range — a prerequisite for achieving higher levels of automatic driving assistance in future.
According to InsideEVs, the long-range Tesla Model 3 is officially rated at 668 km (414 miles) by the MIIT and that’s 38 km (24 miles) less than the P7 which translates to about 5% less range.
Xpeng said that it will officially launch the P7 and start deliveries in China in the second quarter of 2020.
In January, China’s new energy vehicle sales nosedived 54.4% year-on-year to 44,000 units, marking the seventh consecutive month of decline.