The newly launched Xiaopeng GX has made a remarkable debut.

According to reports, Xiaopeng stores witnessed their highest weekday customer turnout since 2026 on the very first day of the Xiaopeng GX's release. This surge in interest led to speculation that the launch of the Xiaopeng MONA L03 might be postponed due to the overwhelming sales of the Xiaopeng GX. In response, Xiaopeng's vice president stepped forward to dispel these rumors.

To be frank, the industry is not entirely taken aback by the robust sales figures of the Xiaopeng GX.

It's worth noting that the Xiaopeng GX can be considered Xiaopeng's new flagship, a standard large electric SUV. Its overall dimensions are comparable to those of the NIO ES8, AITO M9, and Li Auto L9. However, its limited-time introductory price starts at a mere RMB 269,800, nearly half the price of its competitors, the AITO M9 and Li Auto L9, and even approximately RMB 30,000 less than the NIO ES8 with a Battery as a Service (BaaS) leasing option. Its cost-effectiveness is self-evident. Nonetheless, the market performance of the Xiaopeng GX has surpassed the expectations of some observers.

The Xiaopeng GX has taken the low-price strategy employed by the new-generation NIO ES8 to an even more extreme level.

As early as 10 months ago, the new-generation NIO ES8 entered the market with a price range of RMB 406,800-446,800, a reduction of over RMB 100,000 from its predecessor. With the BaaS leasing plan, the price drops to just RMB 298,800-338,800, setting a new industry benchmark for the price of full-size pure electric SUVs.

This move was immediately followed by a surge in consumer purchases of the new-generation NIO ES8. In the second month after its launch, sales of the new ES8 soared to 6,703 units, surpassing 10,000 units in the third month and maintaining that level ever since. Just a few days ago, NIO officially announced that the 110,000th new ES8 had been delivered.

Currently, the new-generation NIO ES8 has emerged as the best-selling single model within the entire NIO Group, accounting for nearly half of NIO's total sales. Thanks to the strong performance of the NIO ES8, NIO's market standing is also on the rise.

Therefore, it is highly plausible that the Xiaopeng GX will mirror the success of the NIO ES8 following its launch. Consequently, the Xiaopeng GX and NIO ES8 are poised to shape the future trajectories of Xiaopeng and NIO, and may even influence the competitive landscape among emerging EV brands.

Over the past two years, the Xiaopeng MONA M03 has been the undisputed sales mainstay for Xiaopeng, contributing nearly 40% of its total sales. However, in the first quarter of this year, the market performance of the Xiaopeng MONA M03 was somewhat underwhelming, which had a certain impact on Xiaopeng's overall market performance.

The arrival of the new flagship Xiaopeng GX has introduced a new 'variable' to Xiaopeng's lineup. Previously, He Xiaopeng stated, 'We aspire for it to become one of the top three sellers in the full-size SUV market.' Based on this, it can be inferred that the sales target for the Xiaopeng GX is around 5,500 units per month. According to official information, the Xiaopeng GX received 24,863 confirmed orders within just 12 hours of its launch, indicating a highly enthusiastic market response. Notably, after this news was released, Xiaopeng's Hong Kong stock rose by 4.57% on the same day. This demonstrates that investors are highly optimistic about the prospects of the Xiaopeng GX.

If this momentum continues, the new Xiaopeng GX is highly likely to become another NIO ES8, contributing about 30% of Xiaopeng's sales. This would introduce a significant new variable into the competitive landscape among emerging EV brands.

Public data reveals that in April 2026, Leapmotor led the pack among emerging EV brands with 71,387 units sold, a year-on-year increase of 73.9%, significantly outpacing other emerging brands. Behind Leapmotor, the competition among Xiaopeng, Xiaomi, and NIO is fierce. In April, Li Auto sold 34,085 units, NIO sold 29,356 units, and Xiaopeng sold 31,011 units. The monthly sales gap among these major emerging EV brands is less than 5,000 units.

Currently, Li Auto is undergoing a product adjustment phase. The Li Auto i6 has become the absolute sales mainstay for Li Auto, accounting for over 60% of its total sales. The market performance of the previously dominant L series has been relatively lackluster. Not long ago, the new-generation Li Auto L9 was officially launched. Li Xiang admitted, 'The success of the Li Auto L9's replacement will directly determine the market ceiling of the entire L series.' The latest unofficial data shows that the Li Auto L9 received 6,500 locked orders within 72 hours of its launch. This momentum is less impressive than that of the Xiaopeng GX.

Of course, the 'Wei Xiao Li' (NIO, Xiaopeng, Li Auto) brands all have their own strategies up their sleeves.

The third model under NIO's sub-brand, LeDao—the LeDao L80—has been unveiled. This vehicle is the five-seat version of the LeDao L90 but comes at a lower price. Li Bin has stated that the LeDao L80 has received more pre-orders than the LeDao L90 did last year. The latest public data shows that the LeDao L80 received 3,041 orders within just one hour of its launch, initially demonstrating strong market acceptance. The impact of the LeDao brand on NIO's sales will hinge on the performance of the LeDao L80.

On Xiaopeng's side, the second model in the MONA series—the MONA L03—is already in the promotional preparation stage and will soon be introduced to consumers. Public information reveals that the Xiaopeng MONA L03 is the first SUV in the Xiaopeng MONA series. The new vehicle is positioned as a compact SUV but boasts dimensions of 4660mm x 1920mm x 160mm and a wheelbase of 2850mm, rivaling many mid-size SUVs. This means that the MONA L03 will enter the A-class SUV market with B-class vehicle space and superior intelligent configurations. This strategy mirrors that of the M03 in the sedan market. In other words, the MONA L03 can be seen as the MONA M03 of the compact SUV market, with the potential to replicate this success in the SUV segment.

Li Bin, Chairman of NIO, revealed that NIO aims for a sales ratio of '3:6:1' among NIO, LeDao, and Firefly. If translated into sales volume, NIO has set its sights on 70,000 units (20,000 for NIO, 40,000 for LeDao, and 7,000 for Firefly).

On Xiaopeng's side, after the launch of the Xiaopeng GX and MONA L03, they are expected to bring an incremental sales volume of around 15,000 units. Consequently, Xiaopeng has also set its sights on 45,000-50,000 units.

Li Auto also has new products in the pipeline. As early as the end of last year, it was reported that Li Auto would release the i-series flagship, the i9, in 2026. The market performance of this vehicle is also worth monitoring closely.

However, the second half of 2026 has just commenced. What is certain is that the rankings will continue to fluctuate. Behind the sales figures, the competition over product line systems among these major emerging EV brands is undoubtedly even more captivating.

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