First drive in XPeng Motors’ G9: It’s a shame this SUV isn’t sold in the US, because it’s a winner
It’s been nearly a two-year journey since XPeng Motors originally announced its mid-sized luxury SUV, the G9 – a model born into expectations from its creators as a potential best seller in its respective segment. I recently found myself on a tour through Europe that included the Netherlands and thought, “The G9 recently arrived here, why not ask XPeng for a loaner to tour the countryside in?” Luckily XPeng obliged, and I got a the full helping on the G9 I so desired. I was not disappointed.
XPeng’s G9 SUV was first announced in November of 2021 with some impressive specs, including the Chinese automaker’s first model to feature its XPILOT 4.0 ADAS, as well as ultra-fast charging thanks to its 800V Silicon Carbide (SiC) platform and battery cells from trusted names like EVE, CALB, and CATL.
When the G9 officially launched in China in September of 2022, XPeng was touting it as the “fastest charging EV in the world,” able to replenish from 10-80% in 20 minutes on XPeng’s network of 480 kW S4 chargers and gather 200 km (124 miles) of range in just five minutes of charging.
Demand overseas was incredible, but so was the confusion about nomenclature of its trim levels, originally announcing beffudled combinations of numbers and letters before introducing better differentiators like “Pro” and “Max” to the mix.
Still, the debut of the G9 carried XPeng Motors for a while as deliveries of its older models began to slip. Its latest model, the G6, has helped lighten the load for its larger sibling since, but the G9 remains a popular model – especially as it makes it way over to new markets in Europe.
Recently traveling through the EU myself, I had plans to visit Amsterdam and from there take a day trip about an hour and fifteen minutes south to the town of Waalwijk, where my great grandfather grew up. Having driven with XPeng in the Netherlands before, I thought what better opportunity to test out the G9? Especially since I had my family with me and could use the extra space for them.
What a joy this day was, taking a climb up the family tree while spending hours in a luxury EV I wish were available in my native homeland. Here are my thoughts.
The G9 is easily the best XPeng Motors model I’ve driven
Upon first receiving delivery of the G9, two elements quickly stood out – its size and its quality. Even coming down the road next to the canals of Amsterdam during daylight, you cannot mistake XPeng’s front fascia and running lights.
As I mentioned before, I had driven the original P7 and the ill-fated (in the EU at least) P5 – both of which are sedans although the P5 is much larger. Still, the G9 is significantly larger than both, even as a mid-sized SUV. Admittedly, not ideal for the narrow turns of the parking garage I stored it overnight in, but I’ll dig into that more in a bit.
When I first got inside, the quality and attention to detail was unmistakable. I received the AWD Performance version of the G9 – brand new, complete with a beautiful “Saddle” nappa leather interior and a Dynaudio Confidence sound system with Dolby Atmos. Let’s stick with the interior first while we’re on the subject.
My parents found welcomed comfort in both the front passenger and rear seats, as they both reclined and offered lumbar support. The front even has a leg rest that comes up as you recline. If my mom hadn’t been in the front, my dad could have pressed XPeng’s “boss button” on the right rear door that completely moves the passenger seat up.
The cabin stayed extra cool and breathing was easy thanks to the G9’s XfreeBreath air purification system with a pollen filter (I have allergies). As a larger EV with a near 3,000mm wheelbase, there was tons of passenger space, as well as cargo room in the trunk (660L). Buttons in the back enable the seats to automatically fold down, and below the trunk was an additional storage compartment (seen below).
The frunk was average, but I’d imagine it would be nice to have for additional storage of stroopwafels, cold Heineken, and other Dutch delicacies. You can get a better feel for everything from the images I snapped, so take a look while we transition into the specs of the G9 and the drive itself.
Driving the G9 around the Netherlands
Alright, first things first. To understand my drive, you must first know the specs I was dealing with when driving the AWD Performance version of XPeng Motors’ G9. This top-tier trim in the EU features two motors combining for 405 kW of output power and 717 Nm of torque.
The SUV can reach a top speed of 200 km/h (124 mph) and accelerate from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 3.9 seconds – she may be big, but she goes. The top two trims of the G9, including the AWD Performance, both feature a 98 kWh NMC battery pack which offers 520km (323 miles) of range (WLTP).
As previously touched upon, one of the G9’s most impressive features is the ability of XPeng Motors’ 800V platform to enable charge rates up to 300 kW on a DC charger. I also got a full taste of the automakers proprietary Xmart OS and XPILOT 2.5 ADAS, powered by a NVIDIA Orin-X chip (unfortunately XPILOT 4.0 isn’t available in the EU yet).
Alright, so taking off through Amsterdam is wild if you’ve never experienced it before. You are driving through a bustling flow of bikes, bus lanes, and single lane roads where vehicles are going both directions. You have to keep your eyes and ears up to say the least.
Having air conditioned seats in the interior was clutch as my back was already sweating trying to get out of the parking garage without giving the G9 a new beauty mark up its entire side, and Amsterdam traffic didn’t make things easier, but we made it.
Initial thoughts were how quiet the cabin was – like eerily, but refreshingly quiet. I was admittedly so consumed with safely exiting the city center and testing out all the features of the G9 that we spent a majority of our trip to Waalwijk in silence. Welcomed silence.
Another key feature I want to point out is the navigational capabilities of XPeng Motors’ Xmart OS, present in the G9. Even since my last drive in the Netherlands with XPeng, the automaker’s software has come a long way in terms of being adapted for Europe. The navigation was intuitive, easy to follow from any display, and most of all, dependable.
If you’ve followed some of my previous drives, you know I’ll usually test the OS before I ultimately switch to CarPlay – my preferred method of operation. Not needed here. The G9’s maps and directions were amazing and even visually directed me as to what lane I should be in when exiting or turning.
When I got out on some open road, I was dying to test out XPILOT although it was only 2.5. I promise I will get to China and test out XNGP, including hands-free City NGP, but for now we have to settle for eyes up and hands on the wheel. Still, XPILOT worked like a charm and made the views of the Dutch countryside that much easier to enjoy. Check it out:
When I wasn’t using the ADAS, I found the dual motors of the G9 fun as hell to drive. Switching lanes and overtaking other vehicles was an absolute treat in the SUV as its acceleration was instantaneous and powerful to say the least. I felt confident passing anyone and everyone and was able to bob and weave when needed, even for a larger vehicle.
There was a point in the drive where I seriously had an epiphany as to how quiet and smooth the ride actually is. The specs from XPeng Motors say the G9 has a double wishbone independent suspension in the front and a multi-link independent suspension in the rear. Perhaps its the dual chamber air springs, or electromagnetic adjusted dampers included on the AWD Performance trim, but damn, this is a smooth ride. The longer I drove this one, the more I fell in love.
Overall, I think the G9 is a slam dunk and understand why XPeng Motors put a lot of faith in its success in China. As for the EU market, I think it’s a little too big, so I’m not sure how it will fare. I really struggled in the urban sprawl of Amsterdam, but had no trouble driving or parking out in the countryside, so perhaps this SUV will still do well with EU consumers outside of crowded cities.
I think US consumers would eat this EV up, as long as they can get over its association with China (which they should). If it were available in the US today, I would seriously consider getting one, even through I’m a single guy with no kids or pets. Even for runs to Costco or shorter road trips, I’d love to be the one driving everyone if I were in this EV.
Looking ahead, my next two goals will be to experience the full suite of XPeng’s technology in China, including XNGP. I also want to test drive the new G6 compact SUV, whether that its China or the EU. I’ll work on that and report back soon, promise!
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![Hackers turn Nissan LEAF into full-scale RC car, record drivers' conversations [video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/05/nissan-leaf-hacked.png?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
A team of white hat European hackers using their brains, keyboards, and a couple of bits and baubles from eBay managed to take control of a 2020 Nissan LEAF and violate just about every privacy and safety regulation in the process.
The best part: they recorded the whole thing.
Budapest-based cybersecurity experts PCAutomotive were able to exploit a number of vulnerabilities in a 2020 Nissan LEAF that enabled the white hat team to geolocate and track the car, record the texts and conversations happening inside the car, playing media back through the car’s speakers, and even (this is the genuinely terrifying dangerous part) turning the steering wheel while the car was moving. (!?)
Maybe the scariest part of this hack, however, is how seemingly easy it was to pull off by starting with a “test bench simulator” built using parts from eBay and exploiting a vulnerability in the LEAF’s DNS C2 channel and Bluetooth protocol.
The PCAutomotive team gave a hugely detailed 118-page presentation of their exploit at black hat Asia 2025, which we’ve included at the bottom of this post, in case the original link goes dead. If you’re into that sort of thing, the fun stuff starts around page 27. And, if you’re not, just know that all the vulnerabilities were disclosed to Nissan and its suppliers between 02AUG2023 and 12SEP2024 (p. 116/118), and the “attack” itself can be seen in the video below that. Enjoy!
Summary of vulnerabilities
- CVE-2025-32056 – Anti-Theft bypass
- CVE-2025-32057 – app_redbend: MiTM attack
- CVE-2025-32058 – v850: Stack Overflow in CBR processing
- CVE-2025-32059 – Stack buffer overflow leading to RCE [0]
- CVE-2025-32060 – Absence of a kernel module signature verification
- CVE-2025-32061 – Stack buffer overflow leading to RCE [1]
- CVE-2025-32062 – Stack buffer overflow leading to RCE [2]
- PCA_NISSAN_009 – Improper traffic filtration between CAN buses
- CVE-2025-32063 – Persistence for Wi-Fi network
- PCA_NISSAN_012 – Persistence through CVE-2017-7932 in HAB of i.MX 6
Remote exploitation of Nissan LEAF
Electrek’s Take
This is one of those posts that, on the bright side, does a great job explaining how a remote operator can “log in” to a vehicle and steer it out of trouble when a weird or edge-case-type situation pops up.
Unfortunately, this is also one of those posts that some of the more clueless anti-EV hysterics will point to and say, “See!? EVs can get hacked!” But the reality is that virtually any car with electric power steering (EPS), electronic throttle controls, brake-by-wire, etc. can be hacked in a similar way. But, while steering a target’s car into an oncoming semi might be a great way to pull off a covert CIA assassination, the more worrying issue here is the breach of privacy and recording – unless you want to spend some time in El Salvadoran prison, I guess.
Remember, kids: Big Brother is watching you.
SOURCE | IMAGES: black hat.
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A major new EV battery factory is being built in Sunderland, bringing 1,000 new jobs with it. AESC, Nissan’s battery partner, is behind the £1 billion ($1.33 billion) plant, which will boost the UK’s EV battery production by six times, enough to power 100,000 electric cars annually.
The 12 GWh capacity plant, AESC’s second battery plant in Sunderland, will be powered by 100% net-zero carbon energy. That big jump in capacity helps position Britain as a global player in EV manufacturing while pushing forward the country’s net-zero goals.
The investment is getting a serious financial lift from the British government. Through a combination of support from the National Wealth Fund and UK Export Finance, the project is unlocking £680 million in financing from major banks, including HSBC, Standard Chartered, SMBC Group, Societe Generale, and BBVA, that covers the construction and operation of the battery factory. Another £320 million is coming from private investment and fresh equity from AESC. On top of all that, the government’s Automotive Transformation Fund is pitching in with £150 million in grant funding.
This deal follows closely on the heels of the new UK-US trade agreement announced a day earlier, which cuts car export tariffs from 27.5% down to 10% for up to 100,000 UK-made vehicles – nearly the total number exported last year. That move could save car companies hundreds of millions of pounds and help protect good-paying jobs in manufacturing hubs like Sunderland.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves visited AESC in Sunderland, where she met with staff and local leaders to discuss what this means for the Northeast and the British car industry.
“This investment follows hot on the heels of yesterday’s landmark economic deal with the US, which will save thousands of jobs in the industry,” Reeves said.
Read more: UK unveils largest curbside EV charger installation of 6,000 ports
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It’s about the future of their jobs. Ford workers at two plants in western Germany are set to go on strike on Wednesday, their works council chief said on Monday.
Ford is facing a worker strike in Germany
In November, Ford announced it would cut around 4,000 jobs in Europe by 2027 as part of a restructuring, primarily in Germany and the UK. That’s still about 14% of its European workforce.
The American automaker said the move comes after it has incurred “significant losses” in recent years and a “highly disruptive market” with new EVs quickly gaining market share.
Ford blamed slower-than-expected demand for electric vehicles and a weak economic situation. It also plans to slow production at its Cologne EV plant, where the electric Explorer and Capri are built.
Last week, IG Metall members voted in favor of “industrial action” with 93.5% of votes in favor of a strike. “Ford must act now—otherwise, we will go through with it,” said Kerstin D. Klein, Chief Representative of IG Metall Cologne-Leverkusen.
Ford is facing an influx of new competition, including Chinese EV makers like BYD. BYD’s overseas sales are surging with a fifth straight month of growth in April.
BYD even outsold Tesla in Germany last month, with 1,566 vehicles registered. In comparison, Tesla had just 855, and Ford saw 9,534 registrations.
On top of this, Ford, like most of the industry, is preparing for more disruption with Trump’s auto tariffs. After releasing Q1 earnings last week, Ford warned that the tariffs could cost up to $2.5 billion this year.
During Ford’s earnings call, CFO Sherry House said that recent EV launches in Europe, including the Explorer, Capri, and Puma Gen-E, helped more than double Model e’s wholesale volume in Q1.
After early success in the US, Ford also launched its “Power Promise” promotion in Europe, offering EV buyers a free home charger and several other perks.
Source: Reuters
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