Xpeng has set an ambitious goal in Europe and could surpass Ford!
Xpeng is no longer hiding its ambitions in Europe. The Chinese automaker aims to sell 500,000 cars per year on the Old Continent by 2030, accounting for half of its total global sales. This is an exceptionally high target that would allow it to surpass companies like Ford and Opel. However, there is still work to be done to achieve this goal.
Europe has become a highly attractive market for Chinese automakers. Some now see it as much more than just a small secondary market alongside China. This is the case with Xpeng. The Guangzhou-based brand recently unveiled particularly ambitious goals at the 2026 World Motor Show.
Xpeng aims to surpass Ford and Opel in Europe
The Chinese automaker’s founder, He Xiaopeng, has announced his goal of achieving one million annual sales worldwide by 2030. But what’s most surprising is the geographical distribution of these sales. Xpeng estimates that Europe alone could account for half of this volume, meaning 500,000 cars per year. That’s enormous!
To grasp the scale of this ambition, it’s enough to look at the performance of some established automakers. In 2025, Ford sold just over 426,000 vehicles in Europe, compared to around 400,000 for Opel. In other words, if Xpeng meets its target, the Chinese brand could surpass these two long-established players on the Old Continent.
But the road ahead will be long. Since its arrival in Norway in 2020, Xpeng has delivered just over 60,000 vehicles in Europe. This cumulative volume is still far short of the 500,000 units the company aims to sell annually by 2030.
Producing More Vehicles in Europe
To achieve its goals, Xpeng relies heavily on developing local production. Since September 2025, the company has been assembling several models at the Magna Steyr factory in Graz, Austria. The G6, G9, and P7+ are already produced there.
The new G9L has also just begun its initial production trials there. This industrial site offers several advantages, notably reducing exposure to the customs duties imposed by the European Union on electric cars imported from China. However, current production capacity is insufficient to meet the announced goals. As such, Xpeng is discussing with Magna ways to increase output in Austria and exploring other production options on the continent. No new industrial investments have yet been officially confirmed.
The business momentum is here!
The manufacturer can still rely on promising business momentum internationally. In the first nine months of 2026, its sales outside China doubled to nearly 59,500 vehicles. In France, Xpeng also claims over 6,000 deliveries since its arrival in 2024.
Also read
Tesla Roadster: Will Elon Musk finally keep his promises? What we know ahead of the upcoming live presentation
Now it’s necessary to turn this growth into a truly sustainable presence. Selling 500,000 cars per year in Europe requires not only expanding the product lineup but also significantly developing the sales network and after-sales service. Xpeng has four years to scale up its operations.