Electric car Xpeng P7+ in first driving test: China's quiet surprise
The touring sedan Xpeng P7+ offers calm design, high charging power, and comfort. But even habit doesn't help against some weaknesses in operation.
Quickly at the charging station: Electric car Xpeng P7+
(Image: Dirk Kunde)
- Dirk Kunde
That I approach the ultra-fast charging station at 62 percent SOC is pure curiosity, because XPeng promises a charging power far above the usual values for the P7+ with 446 kW. Most European fast chargers offer significantly less, which is why I take the opportunity of a charging park from the Dutch provider Fastned, where up to 400 kW can flow. It only takes a few seconds and the display on the charging station rises to 268 kW – despite the high initial charging status.
- Four-seater touring sedan, 5.07 m long, 1.94 m wide, and 1.51 m flat
- Rear motor with 230 kW
- 74.9 kWh, range according to WLTP of 530 km with 16.4 kWh consumption
- Charging power of 446 kW allows charging from 10 to 80 percent in twelve minutes
- Price for Long Range starting at 49,600 euros
- Strengths: high charging power, lavish equipment
- Weaknesses: cumbersome operation, some assistance systems
For most current e-cars, that would be a top value, for the Xpeng P7+ it's just 60 percent of the possible charging power. But: The battery is still more than half full, the thermometer shows just 15 degrees, and the battery preconditioning was not active on the way here. The latter should be mandatory for the cold-sensitive LFP cell chemistry, although there are still manufacturers who do not offer it.
12 minutes charging time
Even the standard version of the P7+ achieves an impressive 350 kW; the test car is the even faster-charging and longer-range, so-called Long Range variant with rear-wheel drive. According to the data sheet, it should take twelve minutes under ideal conditions to charge from 10 to 80 percent. After five minutes of charging, the narrow display behind the steering wheel shows 100 km more range during the intermediate charge described at the beginning; it continues.
Elektroauto Xpeng P7+ Teil eins (7 Bilder)
Dirk Kunde
)The P7+ has little in common with the XPeng P7, which is already available in Germany. It is based on a new technical platform, offers 800-volt battery technology, and is nine centimeters longer. The P7+ is a sedan with plenty of space and a high level of comfort. Among other things, an adaptive chassis (DCC), acoustic glass, and heating, ventilation, and massage functions for all seats are intended to make journeys relaxing. Markus Schrick, Managing Director of XPENG Germany, doesn't like to talk about premium for the P7+, although the equipment would justify it. However, the brand is intended to become "the most German of all Chinese providers" in this country. By 2026, the number of dealer locations is expected to grow from 60 to 110, with a sales target of 8,000 cars. By 2027, it should be 15,000.
Enjoying the rear
The best seat is in the rear right. Here, you can best enjoy the journey under the large panoramic glass roof and with a solid folding table. With a wheelbase of three meters, the legroom here is at the luxury class level. The screen between the two seats allows the front passenger seat to be moved and folded. This indicates that the car was designed as a chauffeur car. Behind the backrest, which can be adjusted ten degrees backward, there is space for 573 liters of luggage. With the backrest folded down, this becomes 1931 liters. It is surprising that there is no extendable luggage cover. But a quick look reveals: You cannot see into the trunk through the tinted rear window.
Elektroauto Xpeng P7+ Teil zwei (8 Bilder)
Dirk Kunde
)There is no storage space under the hood. This is surprising for a car that is 5.07 m long and has only one engine in the rear. The car is 1.94 m wide and low at 1.51 m. Its design is sporty-modern, but without any extravagance apart from the two-tone paintwork. The test car is dark gray, black from the greenhouse upwards.
Three variants
The base model comes with a 180 kW permanent magnet synchronous motor on the rear axle and an LFP battery with 61.7 kWh. According to WLTP, this is sufficient for 455 km. The Long Range version with 230 kW in the driving test draws from a 74.9 kWh battery, which, according to WLTP, allows a range of 530 km. The all-wheel-drive variant also uses the large battery and, due to the additional motor at the front, has a system output of 370 kW. This variant accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds and has a range of up to 500 km. All three versions use the Sepa 2.0 platform and can reach speeds of up to 200 km/h.
Videos by heise
The P7+ battery also provides power on request with the Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) function. Up to 3.3 kW can be drawn from the battery for tools, household appliances, or e-bikes, for example. Two smartphones are charged wirelessly in the storage compartment via induction and are simultaneously cooled by air.
Diverse retrospective
The head-up display facilitates navigation. However, in the default setting, it also displays all other road users detected by 26 sensors. The small gray cars of oncoming traffic, parked vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists are only distracting and offer no added value. Fortunately, you can switch to navigation or basic mode in the menu. Then you only see the relevant driving and navigation data in the projection.