XPeng (小鹏汽车) terminates Australian exclusivity after distributor TrueEV enters receivership

Deal collapse and company response

XPeng (小鹏汽车) has formally revoked the exclusive distributor qualification of its Australian partner TrueEV after alleging the local firm went into receivership and failed to meet order obligations. XPeng told First Financial that, over two years of cooperation, it learned through multiple channels that TrueEV had suffered a funding-chain breakdown and was reportedly taken over by its financier, had not purchased vehicles for more than a year, and failed to fulfil orders that included 454 cars. What began as a fast route to market has become a contractual breach and a public dispute.

TrueEV denies the operational claims and has moved to challenge XPeng through legal channels, it has been reported that. An Australian court on April 1 rejected TrueEV’s application for an injunction. XPeng says it issued a breach notice under the cooperation agreement, terminated TrueEV’s exclusive agency status while retaining a non‑exclusive agent role, and is now accelerating the rollout of its own sales and after‑sales network in Australia—putting local parts supply, logistics and technical support at the top of its checklist.

Background and wider context

TrueEV was named XPeng’s sole importer, dealer and retailer in Australia in May 2024 and deliveries began in August that year. The distributor had outlined plans to introduce models such as the G6, G9L and X9, but pricing and configuration details for those cars remain unpublished. As Chinese electric‑vehicle makers expand into markets like Australia, they face not only commercial risks but also heightened political and regulatory scrutiny amid shifting trade and security relations between Canberra and Beijing. XPeng says it aims to make Australia a market where it is both technologically leading and trusted on customer experience within three years.