This Xpeng X9 could be the future of motoring – and it's a hybrid

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Quick summary

Plans have been revealed for an extended-range hybrid (EREV) version of the Xpeng X9 luxury MPV. This could potentially offer a total range of up to 1400km or 890 miles.

Xpeng may just have solved electric car range anxiety for good with its upcoming X9 variant. This is what it calls an extended-range hybrid car (EREV), or range-extender. This technology could allow the car to travel up to 1400km (890 miles) using both the engine and battery, or an electric-only range of 430km (267 miles). That's a huge distance between charges or refuels.

Range extender vehicles are more common in China and effectively use a small petrol engine to recharge the battery when it's depleted. This is almost the opposite of Plug-in Hybrids (PHEVs), as they don't allow you to run the car purely from the engine. That's because the engine is very low-powered.

The X9 is Xpeng's flagship 7-seater MPV, or people carrier, and also exists in a pure electric BEV form, with up to 740km (460 miles) of range from a 105kWh battery. That would suggest that the EREV model would still have around a 60kWh battery in addition to the engine.

New P7 with AI

Last week, Xpeng also revealed the latest version of its P7 saloon/sedan electric model. This sporty luxury model runs three Xpeng-developed Turing AI chips to power its intelligent driving and intelligent cockpit. It's also built on an 800V architecture to allow rapid charging and has a potential range of up to 820km (510 miles).

Currently, Xpeng's only model in the UK is the Xpeng G6, an all-electric SUV with up to 354 miles of range priced at £39,900. However, the company is best known for its flying cars and six-wheeled EV designs.