Chinese EV maker Xpeng expands presence in Ireland

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Xpeng is actively promoting its latest model while increasing its investment in Ireland, undeterred by the European Union's EV tariffs implemented at the end of last year.   The latest model of Xpeng SUV, the G6 Coupe, boasts impressive performance. It can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds and offer a range of 570 km on a single charge. It is also equipped with advanced AI technology that brings customers closer to autonomous driving experiences.   At a gleaming new showroom of the MSL Grange Motors in Dublin, consumers are exploring the new model and placing their orders.   "We've actually called for more stock, and we had orders put in last week because of the volume that we sold over the last week. So one week [after opening, on] the weekend we sold 12 Xpengs. And now we have more cars on order and they're on their way from China as we speak, so it's really good times for Xpeng in Ireland," said Alan Furlong, MSL Xpeng Brand Manager.   Xpeng, though only a decade old, has ambitious plans to expand sales to 60 countries, with the G6 Coupe targeting the Tesla Model Y.   The Model Y made history as the best-selling car worldwide in 2023, marking a significant milestone for EVs, and it continued to dominate sales in 2024.   Xpeng is trying to compete by offering better technology as standard features, like the G6 Coupe's AI-powered autonomous driving capabilities and a price tag that's approximately $10,000 lower.   The company's investment in Ireland further demonstrates that the European Union's EV tariffs are not hindering the rollout of Chinese EVs, said experts.   "[With regards to] tariffs, people are just looking [for]: is it good value, [does] the vehicle itself have the range, have the size, can I fit the kids in it, can the dog fit in the boot. Now it's CPU this and AI that and voice assistant. And the Chinese cars just have it all, and the European manufacturers are kind of playing catch up to all of that, kind of, what consumers are actually looking for. Tariffs are driving more innovation. But also, I think the Chinese manufacturers have optimized real lean manufacturing, and they could probably, and they are taking that tariff in, the ability to soak that in and still have a competitively priced vehicle that European customers and Irish customers are happy to pay for," said Derek Reilly, an EV expert.

Chinese EV maker Xpeng expands presence in Ireland

The United States cannot legitimize an operation that attacked Venezuela and captured its president, a Chinese scholar said Sunday.

On Saturday, the United States launched a large-scale strike on Venezuela, during which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were 'captured and flown out of Venezuela' according to a post by U.S. President Donald Trump on his Truth Social account.

Teng Jianqun, director of the Center for Diplomatic Studies at Hunan Normal University, said in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) that the aim of this operation is to take full control of Venezuela’s natural resources.

"I don't think the United States can legitimize this operation to take custody of the president of Venezuela. And also I don't think the United States can legitimize its any action in taking the oil reserves of that country. This is actually a very dangerous game played by the Trump administration. And of course, the United States would like to take full control of that country and to take full control of the natural resources, especially the large reserve of oil in Venezuela," said Teng.

Teng said Venezuela is not an isolated case but a common practice by the United States. The United States launched an invasion of Panama on Dec. 20, 1989, which continued until January 1990, with the stated objective of capturing Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega on charges of drug trafficking and organized crime.

"We still remember the so-called sentence of the former president of Panama in the late 1980s. And this time, the president of Venezuela will be under some judicial condition (judicial proceedings) for the so-called drug trafficking and some other crimes. So I think this is not a single case for the Venezuela country, but also this is actually a practice by the United States -- to use force, to use so-called justice under law against any leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean waters," he said.

US cannot legitimize operation against Venezuela: Chinese scholar