CarBrandLogos archive · XPeng · 2021

XPengP5

First mass-produced car to leave the factory with lidar on the nose.

Photo: User3204 · CC BY-SA 4.0

The story

A defining chapter in XPeng history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the XPeng P5, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Origins

The P5 was a compact four-door saloon with a front motor and front-wheel drive, styled by Rafik Ferrag and built at XPeng's own Zhaoqing plant — modest on paper, and priced below the P7. Its claim on history is the pair of lidar units mounted low in the front bumper, which made it the first series-production passenger car sold with lidar as standard equipment, at a time when Tesla was arguing publicly that the sensor was unnecessary.

XPeng P5 Shishi 02 · JamesYoung8167 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Design and engineering

That hardware fed XPeng's city-street driver assistance, rolled out over the air to owners in selected Chinese cities. The rest of the car was pitched at younger buyers on practicality and gimmicks — reclining front seats and a projector for turning the cabin into a cinema among them.

XPeng P5 2024 at Auto Guangzhou 2023 -B · Tim Wu · CC BY-SA 4.0

In production

It was never a strong seller and ended in 2024, replaced in the range by the cheaper, higher-volume Mona M03. But every carmaker now fitting lidar to a mainstream model is following a path the P5 opened.

XPeng P5 facelift 001 · JustAnotherCarDesigner · CC0

At a glance