"Free lifetime charging " has been one of the biggest selling points for Xpeng Motors' models over the past year, and the latest reports suggest that the benefit may be scaled back significantly.
Xpeng's free charging credit for owners will be scaled back from 3,000 kilowatt hours per year to 1,000 kWh, a change expected to take effect July 12, less than a year after it was announced, ifeng.com reported Saturday.
(Source: ifeng.com)
You may wonder what "free lifetime charging" has to do with "3,000 kWh per year".
Xpeng started its "free lifetime charging" policy for customers on Sept. 1 of last year, which is available only to first-hand owners and the cars cannot be used for commercial operations.
The company has also used it as one of the biggest selling points for its models over the past year and said its "free lifetime charging" service covers more cities as it expands its charging network.
Although Xpeng claims to offer "free lifetime charging," the benefits are actually capped at 3,000 kWh per year.
Xpeng initially announced the policy in a poster with the 3,000 kWh cap, but then barely mentioned the cap in its marketing, leaving many owners and potential owners thinking that their benefits are lifetime and unlimited.
In the Xpeng App, we see a large number of users questioning this. The company explains that 3,000 kWh of power can meet the daily charging needs of the vast majority of owners each year.
The ifeng.com report said that some web users claim that the offer continues for those who ordered the vehicle on July 12 and offers a 3-day consideration period, after which the entitlement will be scaled back to 1,000 kWh per year.
In the Xpeng App, the "free lifetime charging" page is no longer visible. The display of the free charging service has also been removed from the "owner's benefits" section, according to a report on ifeng.com.
Xpeng staff said the specific policy has not been announced yet and will release the latest news as soon as possible, according to the report.
On Friday, Xpeng announced that the G3i, a facelifted version of the Xpeng G3, is available for sale with a subsidized price range of RMB 149,800 ($23,100) - RMB 185,800.
The model is available in a new cyan version, as well as more than 40 color change films to cater to the preferences of younger consumers.
It is worth noting that Tesla and Nio have also offered free energy replenishment services to early adopters, and both have since scaled back their entitlements.
Tesla's free charging service began to be phased out in 2018. Tesla vehicles sold after Nov. 2, 2018, do not receive Supercharger credits.
Last October, Nio scaled back the free unlimited battery swap service entitlement previously offered to customers.
Customers who purchase a vehicle after Oct. 11, 2020, can receive six free battery swaps per month if they give up their free home charger. Benefits for customers who purchase a vehicle before then remain the same.
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