A new Chinese company that makes electric cars is coming to Australia this year (Xpeng).

An electric car start-up that makes a car that competes with the Tesla Model Y has become the latest car company to announce plans to launch in Australia.

Start-up for electric cars The latest Chinese car company to say it wants to sell cars in Australia is Xpeng. The cars will be in stores by the end of this year.

Xpeng was started in 2014 by leaders from both car and tech companies. It already sells cars in China and Europe, and it has plans to grow into right-hand-drive markets in the UK and South-East Asia.

The electric car company will come out in Australia in the fourth quarter of 2024 (October to December) with the G6, a mid-size SUV that will compete with the Tesla Model Y, which is currently the best-selling electric car in Australia.

Independent distributor TrueEV will sell Xpeng cars in the area. TrueEV is a new company, but it says it has "years of experience in the automotive and tech industries."

The supplier says it will have "branded showrooms" all over Australia, but it hasn't said where they will be or whether most of the cars will be sold online.

Prices for the Xpeng G6 start at 205,900 yuan in China. This is about 20% less than the base price of a Tesla Model Y in Australia, which starts at $60,900 plus on-road costs.

Xpeng has signed a deal with Volkswagen to co-develop electric cars for the Chinese market. This is the fifth model they have released. The others are the G9 SUV, the P5 and P7 sedans, and the X9 people mover.

Overseas, there is an option of three types – rear-wheel-drive 66kWh normal range, rear-wheel-drive 87.5kWh long range, and all-wheel-drive 87.5kWh long range.

Single-motor rear-wheel-drive versions make 218kW/440Nm – with 580km or 755km of reported driving range respectively in more-lenient Chinese CLTC lab testing – while the dual-motor all-wheel-drive model has 358kW/660Nm, and a 700km CLTC range.

The top-of-the-range model is capable of 0-100km/h in a stated 3.9 seconds.

The battery packs run at 800 volts, and can charge at up to 280kW for a 10 to 80 per cent recharge in an estimated 20 minutes, according to Xpeng.

More information of the 2025 Xpeng G6 – and any models that follow – in Australia are coming closer to its local launch later this year.

Xpeng is one of a number of Chinese car makers starting in Australia over the next 18 months, alongside Zeekr (owned by Volvo's parent company Geely) and GAC Aion.