BYD Auto World's leading EV maker Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Xpeng is preparing to bring its autonomous driving technology to overseas markets, positioning itself as a direct competitor to Tesla in Europe. The Guangzhou-based company, as reported by the South China Morning Post, intends to leverage its experience in the highly competitive domestic market to challenge the US automaker internationally. Xpeng Vice-Chairman and President Brian Gu Hongdi expressed confidence that the company can compete head-to-head with Tesla. While acknowledging that Tesla holds an advantage as an early entrant in some European markets, Gu pointed to the leadership of China's automobile industry as a key support for Xpeng. He described the Chinese market as the world's most competitive and innovative environment for autonomous driving, adding that the company's confidence stems from being tested in that demanding arena. This expansion signals that Chinese carmakers are broadening the competition in overseas markets to include technology, moving beyond the initial push to increase exports amid domestic pressures. Xpeng recently unveiled its Mona L03 model in Hong Kong, one week after its debut in mainland China, with a subsequent launch scheduled in Munich on July 16. Interactive table based on the Store Companies dataset for this report. | # | Company | Headquarters | Focus | Scale | Note | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | BYD Auto | Shenzhen, Guangdong | EVs, PHEVs, passenger cars | Very large | World's leading EV maker | | 2 | SAIC Motor | Shanghai | Passenger & commercial vehicles | Very large | State-owned, partners with VW & GM | | 3 | Geely Auto | Hangzhou, Zhejiang | Passenger cars, EVs | Very large | Owns Volvo Cars, Zeekr, Lotus | | 4 | Changan Automobile | Chongqing | Passenger & commercial vehicles | Very large | State-owned,