Chinese electric vehicle (EV) brand Xpeng has promised a “new era of trust and intelligence” in Australia as it formally establishes its local operations, though there are many unanswered questions as it battles with its local distributor in court.
Xpeng Motors Australia Pty Ltd (Xpeng ANZ) says it has appointed a new local senior executive team with “deep expertise and a proven track record in the Australian automotive industry”.
While it hasn’t confirmed who is on this team, former GWM Australia chief operating officer Hidesuke Takesue confirmed last year on LinkedIn he had taken on the role of ‘senior executive consultant’.
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The company also says it’s immediately working to establish a dealership network across major cities in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia.
Xpeng ANZ promises there’ll be customer support infrastructure, including servicing and aftersales operations in time for its launch, though it hasn’t confirmed when that launch will be.
It also hasn’t said what support existing Xpeng customers will receive in this intervening period.
“To ensure [our] sophisticated global technology is delivered in its purest and most efficient form, we have chosen to evolve our market presence into a direct factory-backed model,” the company says in its release.
“This direction allows Xpeng ANZ to take full responsibility for fostering and building an entirely new dealer network that is perfectly aligned with the future of intelligent mobility.
“We acknowledge the shifts in the current landscape and remain deeply committed to the long-term stability and continuity of the Australian market.
“Our mission is to nurture professional, mutually respectful relationships with new dealers, vendors, and partners who will join us on this journey.”
Xpeng’s Australian distributor TrueEV entered administration last month, when insolvency firm Cor Cordis took control of a total of 197 vehicles.
On March 19, 2026, these administrators were appointed “by instrument”. This appears to indicate a lender, which potentially provided money to purchase or import vehicle stock, has moved to take control of this stock as the loan terms weren’t met.
TrueEV was appointed as the sole importer, distributor and retailer of Xpeng products in Australia in May 2024. It commenced deliveries in August 2024, while Xpeng Motors Australia was registered as a private company on January 16, 2025.
In addition to this, there’s ongoing legal action in the Federal Court of Australia. TrueEV is listed as the applicant, with the respondents being arms of Xpeng itself – Guangzhou Xiaopeng Motors Trading Co Limited, Shenzhen Xiaopeng Motors Supply Chain Management Co Ltd, and Xpeng Motors Australia Pty Limited.
The Australian reports TrueEV filed suit against the Chinese automaker for “unconscionable conduct”, and after initial proceedings the trial will kick off in October.
The Aussie distributor alleges Xpeng relied on it to establish its brand locally but “systematically undermined” its operations from late 2024 onwards, before giving notice to terminate its exclusive distribution agreement – signed on April 30, 2024 – just a few months ago on January 1, 2026.
According to The Australian, it further alleged Xpeng refused to supply new models unless the Chinese automaker itself was allowed to enter the Australian market, which would have established an unusual dual distribution network.
It reportedly further alleged that Xpeng unilaterally changed approval processes and requirements for authorising franchised dealers and service centres, and directed the distributor to delist some dealers and service partner Ultra Tune, effectively blocking out a chunk of TrueEV’s local network.
TrueEV and Xpeng reportedly had a five-year deal, with the former having invested an untold sum to establish a network of 15 dealers, 57 smash repairers and 58 service centres.
Xpeng reportedly told the court, however, that its sales and service network would “function much better” if its local arm also distributed vehicles.
TrueEV further alleged that Xpeng directly approached some of TrueEV’s franchised dealers to establish its own agreements with them, and also approached finance partners to suggest they cease funding TrueEV.
The distributor argues this conduct breaches Australian Consumer Law and the Franchising Code of Conduct, and that as a franchisee it should have been compensated for an early termination of its agreement with Xpeng.
This legal action comes as the Australian Government promises long-awaited protections for franchised car dealers, due this year.
TrueEV announced late last year that 2026 would be a huge year for the Xpeng brand, with an updated G6 mid-size electric SUV, a new G9L large electric SUV, and the X9 large electric people mover all set for launch.
First cab off the rank was due to be the X9, with pricing and specifications planned to be announced during the first quarter (January to March) of 2026, ahead of first customer deliveries in the second quarter (April to June) – the same time the updated G6 was due to reach customers.
TrueEV CEO Jason Clarke previously conceded the company has had “some growth pains that we’ve got to resolve from time to time”, telling CarExpertlast December that “availability of stock, availability of parts, they’re forever a challenge”, but also saying there can be a “disconnect in expectations” with such a young brand.
The rollout of more models was intended to help build trust in the brand and appeal to different buyers.
TrueEV doesn’t distribute or retail any other automotive brands in Australia. It had 18 Xpeng retail locations at the end of 2025, and planned to have “at least” 25 by the end of 2026.
The company never reported Xpeng sales figures to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) for publication in monthly VFACTS sales reports, nor did it provide these to the Electric Vehicle Council like Tesla and Polestar do.
However, the company confirmed in December it had delivered over 2000 Xpeng vehicles since launching the brand here.
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