Chinese electric vehicle maker XPeng is preparing to enter the South Korean market and is open to collaborating with local partners, according to Vice Chairman and Co-President Brian Gu.
However, the company is still in the preparation phase, Gu said on Wednesday in a media Q&A session, hinting that the expansion won’t take place before the year end.
The executive added that XPeng is still evaluating the timing of its entry into South Korea, noting that it “might need some time.”
Gu described South Korea as a good EV market to enter, but also “a complicated one.”
When questioned about potential partnerships in the market, Gu added that XPeng is open to collaboration with local companies as part of its strategy for South Korea.
It’s unclear whether XPeng plans to sell solely battery electric vehicles (BEVs) or also include plug-in hybrids, given that it has just launched its first extended-range hybrid — the X9 MPV.
Business Entity Registered
In late September, several South Korean media outlets reported that the Guangzhou-based automaker had set up and registered a local business entity, under the name of ‘XPeng Motors Korea.’
Auto industry sources noted that the subsidiary, headquartered in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, had been established in June already.
Reports also indicated that XPeng was preparing to appoint a country manager and establish a dealer network in South Korea, in line with its partnership-based approach to overseas markets.
This makes XPeng the third Chinese automaker to enter the Asian market — one of the four Asian Tigers — after BYD and Geely’s Zeekr.
EVs in South Korea
In the third quarter, the Korean EV market saw significant growth, with pure electric sales increasing by 86% year over year and reaching an 18% market share.
Between July and September, nearly one in every five vehicles sold in the country was fully electric.
The growth is driven by the expansion of electric vehicle lineups from domestic brands like Hyundai and Kia, as well as an increasing acceptance of foreign rivals.
The two automakers also lead sales in several overseas markets — including the Netherlands, where Kia models have consistently ranked among the best-sellers.
In the last quarter, Hyundai led the market with 19,082 EV sales, up 30% from a year before.
US brand Tesla also saw a 33% increase in deliveries, with South Korea now representing its third-largest market globally.
The Elon Musk-led company has been operating in the South Korean market since 2017 and recently introduced the Cybertruck, alongside its existing Model S, 3, X, and Y lineup.
China’s giant BYD expanded to South Korea in early 2025.
It first introduced the Atto 3 SUV in the market — which is one of its best-sellers in Europe. Since then, the Seal sedan and the Sealion 7 SUV were also added to the portfolio.
In March, Zeekr also established its South Korean subsidiary — ‘Zeekr Intelligent Technology Korea’. By then, it said it was preparing to open two showrooms in the country in the second half of 2025.
The Geely-backed automaker is planning to begin vehicle deliveries early next year.
October Results
Last month, Tesla sold 4,350 vehicles in Korea. Registrations halved from September, when it listed over 9,000 new vehicles.
BYD sales also tumbled from September — from 1,020 to 824 units in October.
According to news outlet Yonhap, 24,064 imported vehicles were sold in October. International vehicles represent a modest 1% market share in the country.
October saw slower auto sales for both domestic and overseas brands — a trend that often occurs in the first month of each quarter.
Intelligent Driving Overseas
One of the key focus of XPeng‘s management is to bring intelligent driving capabilities to international markets.
President Gu said on the same roundtable that the company is looking for regions “where the framework is more friendly” for the rollout of highway capabilities, for example.
XPeng aims to launch some of these capabilities “sometime next year.”
