Xpeng targets overseas sales surge in 2026 as China EV battle goes global

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Xpeng is aiming to double its overseas sales in 2026, as it battles domestic rivals such as BYD and Leapmotor for a bigger slice of the global market.The Guangzhou-based company expects to deliver more than 90,000 vehicles to customers outside mainland China this year – about 15 per cent of its targeted annual output – as it accelerates its international expansion amid intensifying competition at home, according to two people familiar with the matter.Part owned by Volkswagen, Xpeng plans to lean on its growing dealer network to lift sales in Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Some of its higher-end models, including the G6 sport utility vehicle and X9 multipurpose vehicle, have already gained traction with EV buyers in those markets.Xpeng shipped 45,008 vehicles overseas last year, up 96 per cent from 2024, it said in a statement earlier this month. The company declined to comment on its export target for this year.Xpeng’s overseas push mirrors a broader shift among Chinese EV makers, which are stepping up efforts to sell abroad as growth slows in the domestic market.BYD, the world’s largest EV assembler, is targeting a 24 per cent increase in overseas deliveries this year, aiming to ship 1.3 million vehicles to international customers, Li Yunfei, its general manager of branding and public relations, said at a media briefing in Shanghai on Saturday.