China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China (MIIT) has verified Xpeng’s P7 electric sports sedan’s driving range to be NEDC 706 km (439 miles). It is the longest range among electric vehicles available in China.

MIIT released its 329^th batch of vehicle manufacturer and product announcements and its third recommendation catalog for new energy vehicles. The XPENG P7 model listed in the MIIT announcement is the RWD version, with 196 kW maximum power, 390 N·m peak torque and 12.5 kWh/100km power consumption.

The P7 is built on the Smart Electric Platform Architecture platform (SEPA). The Xpeng P7 is equipped with the latest generation of a prismatic battery pack with 80.87 kWh capacity and an energy density of 170 Wh/kg. It integrates an electric motor, transmission and control system in its high-performance 3-in-1 electric drive system.

The P7 is built on the SEPA - Smart Electric Platform Architecture, with advanced autonomous driving features and fusion-based perception powered by its dual-chip system: NVIDIA DRIVE Xavier and Qualcomm Snapdragon 820A. (Earlier post.)

Compared with the traditional distributed electric drive layout, this gives higher efficiency, a more compact structure, lighter weight, more uniform interior layout, and greater reliability.

The volume of the entire electric drive system is only 18.6L, and power density reaches the industry-leading 2 kW/kg level. The maximum efficiency of the motor system is > 95%, with the NEDC efficiency greater than 85.5%, leading to longer battery life and stronger performance.

Wind resistance coefficient is also critical to cruising range. For the P7, every 0.01 decrease in wind resistance coefficient increases NEDC driving range by about 8 km (5 miles).

The P7 has its own streamlined profile unique to its coupé format, with a duck-back extension, a semi-hidden wiper, low-resistance exterior mirrors, and low-resistance wheel rim covers. The air grille and near flat low wind resistance chassis have been refined to reach an ultra-low wind resistance coefficient of Cd 0.236, after more than 30 optimization schemes implemented.

The Xpeng P7 uses a front double wishbone and a rear five-link suspension, with unsprung mass reduced by optimization of suspension material and layout.

The upper and lower control arms, steering knuckles, and damper forks of the P7 are made of aluminum alloy, which reduces weight compared to cast-iron materials. The rear suspension swing arms are made of stamped parts, superior in strength and weight.

The iBooster intelligent braking assist system provides the Xpeng P7 with best pedal feel, more accurate braking force, and longer cruising range—a prerequisite for achieving higher levels of automatic driving assistance in future.

The Xpeng P7 will be officially launched and delivered to the Chinese market in 2Q 2020.