Can Xpeng Crack the U.S. Market? CEO Floats American Factory Plans

Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng is setting its sights on the United States. The company, which delivered over 103,000 vehicles in the first half of the year, is already expanding in Europe. But CEO He Xiaopeng made clear in a recent interview with WardsAuto that America remains a top priority.

“America will be one of the most important markets that we have to enter because it will help us to grow better,” he said. With Americans buying roughly 16 million new cars annually, it’s easy to see why.

S. launch, however, is anything but straightforward. Chinese automakers have tried for decades, and the only one to come close, Polestar, ended up banned while Volvos built in the same plant got a pass. Xiaopeng acknowledged the political hurdles but left the door open for a different approach.

S. policy allows for companies like us to stay or enter the market and build factories there, definitely we’ll embrace that decision,” he said. That comment is notable given President Trump’s mixed signals on Chinese cars. Earlier this year, Trump said he’d welcome Chinese factories that hire American workers, yet the ban on Polestar suggests otherwise.

S. launch a long shot. But Xpeng isn’t sitting still. The company is planning a Canadian launch as a test run. Alex Tang, Xpeng’s head of international development, said the team needs time to “evaluate and plan” for Canada, aiming for a long-term brand presence there. Whether that strategy eventually leads south of the border remains to be seen.