China EV brand XPeng and Singapore’s Charge+ launch EV fast-charging network in South-east Asia

Debuting with four locations across Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, the network will adopt XPeng’s fast-charging technology in future and support its regional expansion

 

[SINGAPORE] China electric vehicle (EV) brand XPeng and Singapore charge-point operator Charge+ launched an EV-charging network in South-east Asia on Tuesday (Sep 23) that focuses on higher charging speeds.

Goh Chee Kiong, chief executive officer of Charge+, said: “XPeng, as a company, wants a decisive say in shaping an ultra-fast charging network in South-east Asia. Both XPeng and Charge+ share a common vision to make a difference in the way charging is done in the region.”

Gao Xiang, general manager of XPeng charging, said: “Supercharging has been a core focus of XPeng with all EV models using technologies such as 800-volt platforms and 5C batteries to achieve ultra-fast charging. As XPeng continues to bring its innovative EVs to this region, we are confident we will be able to unlock new opportunities together with Charge+.”

Comprising mostly direct current (DC) fast chargers, the network currently has four charging stations in three countries – at Royal Square at Novena and Downtown East in Singapore, KL Eco City in Malaysia, and One Bangkok in Thailand.

It offers charging at up to 350 kilowatts (kW), which is faster than most existing EV-charging networks. Tesla’s Supercharger network, for example, is among the fastest and has a maximum charging rate of 250 kW.

The co-branded network is open to public use, but owners of XPeng vehicles will receive discounts at these charging stations, as well as at Charge+’s existing network. They will also be able to use the XPeng app to access the chargers.

DC fast-chargers replenish an EV’s battery faster and are used for quicker top-ups in less than an hour. Alternating current chargers typically operate at less than 30 kW and are used for charging over a few hours.

Fast and faster

The move follows a strategic partnership announced by the two companies in April this year.

Like Tesla, XPeng has established charging networks in the regions where it sells cars, including China and Europe, but the XPeng-Charge+ network is its first in South-east Asia.

In its home market, it is a major charging-point operator with more than 2,400 stations in 430 cities.

Lawrence Li, general manager of XPeng overseas charging, said: “(The new network) is just the beginning of a bigger scale of charging network we are planning to implement in this region.”

XPeng is investing in EV-charging networks to help support its growing ambitions in the region.

The company now operates in Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, with plans to begin in Brunei and the Philippines.

In 2026, the network will expand to Indonesia and increase the number of charging locations to 20, which will be in commercial hubs, retail malls and highway rest stops.

While the existing stations were built and funded by Charge+, both companies will invest in future XPeng-Charge+ network stations.

The network could also grow to be the region’s fastest in terms of charging speed in the coming months.

Some of the forthcoming stations will adopt XPeng’s own fast-charging technology, with a maximum charging rate of 480 kW.

This would allow XPeng cars with the company’s latest battery technology to be charged from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in around 12 minutes, eclipsing existing charge networks in speed. Tesla’s Superchargers take around half an hour, in comparison.

Goh said: “Nobody has announced a network with this speed or of this magnitude. This speed plays to the strengths of XPeng’s EVs.”

BYD has unveiled technology that offers charging at up to a megawatt or 1,000 kW, but it is not available on the market yet.

Having established a presence in the region’s major right-hand drive markets, XPeng’s next move is to enter its left-hand drive markets, which could include Cambodia and Vietnam.

An XPeng representative told The Business Times: “XPeng has already achieved close to 90 per cent penetration across the right-hand drive markets in South-east Asia, marking a significant milestone in our regional expansion.

“Our next strategic step will be to venture into the left-hand drive markets within South-east Asia, further broadening our presence and bringing XPeng’s smart EV technology to even more customers across the region.”

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Contributed by: Derryn Wong