Xpeng has named Australia as one of its five strategic global markets and says every future vehicle it develops will be engineered for right-hand drive and launched locally.

Alex Tang, Head of the International Business Centre at XPENG, confirmed the commitment during a media Q&A in Guangzhou, where the Chinese EV maker outlined a more Australia-focused product and technology plan.

The policy means upcoming Xpeng models will not be developed solely for China before being adapted later for export markets.

Instead, Tang said new models starting with the L03 are being created as global vehicles from the start, with development and testing covering regulations in more than 60 countries.

"In the future, all of the new models from the company will develop with both left-hand drive and right-hand drive, and all of the new models will go through Australia," Tang said.

The commitment puts Australia into Xpeng’s core international rollout plan alongside Europe, the Middle East and parts of South-East Asia, as the brand works to broaden its local presence beyond the G6 electric SUV.

CarSauce has previously covered the L03 SUV, which will become a key part of Xpeng’s global model strategy.

G9L and L03 locked in for Australia

Xpeng confirmed the G9L large electric SUV will arrive in Australia before the end of 2026.

The L03 will also come to Australia after its global launch in Munich on July 16, 2026.

Tang described the L03’s 4.6-metre length as a "golden size" for global markets, positioning it in a high-volume part of the SUV market.

Xpeng also reiterated that the X9 people mover is due for Australia soon, following earlier details on the X9 electric people mover ahead of its local launch.

A sedan will not launch in Australia in 2026, with Tang saying that body style will follow in 2027.

The company will detail more of its Australian model, technology and ecosystem strategy at an official brand launch in Melbourne on July 21, 2026.

Tang said Xpeng’s global expansion began in Europe because of its regulatory standards and EV market maturity, before extending into other regions.

Xpeng says it is now present in 63 countries and regions, with nine research and development centres worldwide and three overseas production initiatives.

Those overseas production programs include Austria with Magna, plus Indonesia and Malaysia.

Tang said the G6’s overseas sales have been helped by customers cross-shopping it against the Tesla Model Y, citing comfort, design and charging as factors raised by buyers.

Australia is now being treated as the next major step in that expansion.

"Australia is one of our strategic markets," Tang said.

Xpeng is also planning a larger retail footprint in Australia, with an ambition to build a network of around 100 dealerships over time.

Tang said local testing will be part of the Australian rollout, including for driver assistance systems and vehicle tuning.

"For Australia of course we will do a lot of local testing," Tang said.

He said software and AI development should make localisation faster than traditional hardware-led changes, though no Australian-specific calibration details have been announced.

The company’s VLA 2.0 technology, short for Vision Language to Action, is planned for global markets from 2027.

Tang said Australia would be in the first batch of markets to receive the technology, subject to local regulations.

This broader commitment comes as Xpeng moves to reset its Australian operations amid ongoing legal uncertainty with its original distributor, TrueEV. The transition follows key local milestones previously covered by CarSauce, including XPENG ANZ’s decision to join Australia's right-to-repair scheme.

Tang said the company would support current owners and future customers, with customer service, parts supply, servicing and software support presented as priorities for the local operation.

More detail on Xpeng’s Australian line-up, ownership support and technology rollout is expected at the brands official “launch” in Melbourne in July.