The cell module supplied by Svolt Energy for the 550 km range version of the Xpeng P5 has officially rolled off the production line.
(Image credit: Svolt Energy)
Xpeng Motors has added another battery maker to its supplier list, as the electric vehicle maker tries to reduce its dependence on a handful of major suppliers.
On October 19, Svolt Energy's cell modules for the Xpeng P5 sedan rolled off the assembly line, the power cell maker, which spun off from Great Wall Motor, said yesterday.
The P5 is Xpeng's second sedan after the P7 and its third production model. The company's first model is the Xpeng G3 SUV.
Xpeng currently offers four range options for the P5: 460 km, 510 km, 550 km and 600 km, with multiple versions under each option.
Svolt Energy said in its statement that it is supplying the cell modules for the P5 with a range of 550 km, which are manufactured at a new AI plant at the company's headquarters in Jintan, Changzhou, Jiangsu province.
The project was a high priority for both companies from the start, with an efficient communication mechanism established at the beginning of the partnership, Svolt Energy said, without disclosing exactly when the partnership began.
Svolt Energy said it achieved mass production of the cell module for the Xpeng P5 in August, and its new production line reached SOP (Start of Production) status in 2.5 months.
The introduction of Svolt Energy as a new supplier appears to be the result of Xpeng's attempt to diversify its battery supply.
Xpeng was CATL's third largest customer after Tesla and Nio in terms of battery installations in 2021, according to the Gaogong Industry Institute.
After the official launch of Xpeng's flagship SUV, the G9, on September 21, the company's vice chairman and president, Brian Gu, said Xpeng had diversified its battery suppliers and no longer had CATL as its main supplier.
Gu also said at the time that Xpeng was working with Sunwoda to develop fast-charging batteries for the G9 that would allow the model to reach 80 percent charge in 15 minutes.
On September 22, another battery maker, CALB, said it had a custom battery product solution for the Xpeng G9, and the launch of the model signaled a further deepening of the strategic partnership between the two companies.
Previously, CALB had been the preferred supplier for the Xpeng P7 and P5 sedans, and the company also supplied the G3i, at one point supplying 83 percent of that model this year, the battery maker said late last month.
The launch of the Xpeng G9 is a continuation of the partnership and recognition by customers of CALB's products and innovative capabilities, the company said.
