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Tesla Stock Had The EV Spotlight This Year — This Chinese Rival Took The Trophy

Tesla Stock Had The EV Spotlight This Year — This Chinese Rival Took The Trophy

XPeng has outperformed Tesla in 2025, driven by strong delivery growth, expanding EV lineup, and improving margins.

  • XPeng’s diversified EV lineup spans premium SUVs, sedans, MPVs, and budget models.
  • This allowed the company to respond quickly to shifting demand while leveraging AI-driven software, in-house chips, and advanced driver-assistance systems.
  • Improving gross margins and early investments in robotics and AI technologies have strengthened its long-term growth narrative.

Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) stock had a sputtering start to the year but came back from behind to trade with handsome gains as the year draws to a close. If Tesla’s second-half pick-up has left you in awe, wait till you hear about this smaller player, whose market capitalization is roughly one-ninth that of the U.S. electric-vehicle (EV) giant.

Guangzhou, Guangdong-based XPeng, Inc. (XPEV) has seen its shares surge by about 56% versus Tesla’s 14% gain. Its outperformance is driven by its nimbleness in adapting to changing EV market dynamics, its use of artificial intelligence-enabled vehicle technology, and its foray into robotics.

XPEV vs TSLA YTD Return.png

Source: Koyfin

XPeng’s Lineup

Founded in 2014, XPeng took four years to launch its first model, the G3 SUV, and the company began deliveries of its second model, the P4 four-door sedan, in 2020. The company’s current vehicle lineup includes the following models:

  Vehicle Type Range (CLTC) 0-100 km acceleration Other features Starting Price
X9 Ultra smart 7-seater (multi-purpose vehicle) upto 702 Km 5.7s -XOS Tinaji In-car OS
-XNG full-scenario ADAS
-Qualcomm Snapdragon SA8295P chip
350,000 yuan
G9 Premium SUV Upto 585 Km 4.2s -full-scene AI voice control
-XPilot Assist advanced tech
248,800 yuan
G6 Coupe SUV Upto 427 Km 4.13s -XPeng full-stack Lofic architecture
-XPilot Assist advanced tech
-Sensor suite
176,800 yuan
P7 (new) Sports sedan Upto 576 Km 4.1s -XPilot Assist
-in-house Turing AI chips
219,800 yuan

Source: XPeng

XPeng also has a lineup of budget EVs marketed under the Mona subbrand. It launched the Mona M03, a hatchback coupe, in August 2024. It has a starting price of under 120,000 yuan and is pitched against Tesla’s Model 3 in China. 

XPeng’s Deliveries Momentum Accelerates

Quarterly deliveries are at a record, with sales showing sequential revenue growth since the first quarter of 2024. The third-quarter results released in mid-November showed a nearly 150% year-over-year (YoY) increase in deliveries to 116,007 units. The company rolled out its one millionth EV from its factory in November.

Tesla Quarterly deliveries.png

Source: The Fly

The revenue growth has kept pace with the rise in deliveries, with the latest quarterly number doubling from a year ago and rising 11.5% from the previous quarter.

XPeng_Revenue_Rises_In_Tandem_With_Deliveries.png

Source: Fiscal.ai

Gross margin has been on an upward trajectory since it inflected higher in the fourth quarter of 2023. Tesla, meanwhile, has traced a downtrend, stung by slowing deliveries and revenue growth and the absence of the high-margin regulatory EV credit.

XPEV_Vs_TSLA_Margin_Profile.png

Source: Fiscal.ai

XPeng’s Robotics Opportunity

The Chinese EV maker, which prides itself on being a tech innovator, showcased its “IRON” robot earlier this year. The robot, which has a lifelike exterior and posture, will likely be mass-produced by the end of 2026 and introduced in factories and sales channels.

Screenshot 2025-12-18 at 8.37.54 AM.png

But Retail Holds Back

Sentiment among Stocktwits users toward XPEV was ‘bearish’ at the last reading, and it has remained depressed for much of this year. 

Screenshot 2025-12-18 at 8.42.26 AM.png

Wall Street analysts, however, are optimistic. Nearly 80% of the 29 analysts covering the stock have ‘Buy’ or ‘Strong Buy’ ratings. The average analyst price target for the stock is $28.38, implying a 57% upside from the last close.

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