will launch the right-hand drive version of the G6 in Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia, with deliveries to begin in the third quarter of this year.

(Image credit: Xpeng)

Xpeng (NYSE: XPEV) has entered into a partnership with a dealer in Thailand to expand into Southeast Asian markets.

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Xpeng announced a long-term strategic partnership with Thai dealer group Neo Mobility Asia at the 45th Bangkok International Motor Show on March 26, marking the company's official entry into the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) markets, it said today.

The ongoing Bangkok auto show will run until April 7, with March 25-26 as media days and March 27-April 7 as public days.

Xpeng will launch the right-hand drive version of the G6 in Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia, with deliveries to begin in the third quarter of this year, the electric vehicle (EV) maker said.

Xpeng has increased its focus on overseas markets this year, as competition in the domestic market grows red hot.

On February 18 -- the first working day after China's 2024 Lunar New Year holiday -- He Xiaopeng, Xpeng's chairman and CEO, said in an internal letter that 2024 will be the first year of V2.0 for Xpeng's internationalization efforts.

On March 19, Xpeng's management said in an analyst call following the company's fourth-quarter 2023 earnings announcement that it would significantly accelerate its entry into overseas markets in 2024, with plans to launch an internationalized left-hand-drive version of the G6 for the global market in the second quarter and a right-hand-drive version of the G6 in the second half of the year.

In terms of sales channels, Xpeng will work with premium dealers to gain more efficient access to key global markets, including Western Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the Commonwealth, the company said in the call.

The G6 has greater sales potential in global markets than Xpeng's flagship SUV, the G9, and will be a global hit, Mr. He said previously.

As Xpeng's internationalization V2.0 efforts accelerate, more premium dealerships in Southeast Asia, including Premium Automobiles in Singapore and Bermaz Auto in Malaysia, are joining the company's partnership, it said in today's press release.

Southeast Asia, one of the world's key automotive markets, is an important part of Chinese carmakers' internationalization strategy, Xpeng said, adding that the company will work with dealers in the Southeast Asian region to build a distribution, sales and service network.

Xpeng will offer a range of EV models customized for the local markets in Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia, reinforcing the company's position as a global leader in smart EVs, its vice president Wu Jiaming said.

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