Xiaopeng He on Competing with Lei Jun: “If Only Five Carmakers Remain, I Hope We’re Brother Companies”

According to a report by Phoenix Finance on November 1, XPeng Motors Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng shared his thoughts on competition within China’s electric vehicle industry. He remarked, “If, in the future, there are only five car companies left, I hope we’ll be brother companies — because at least our competition will be orderly. I’ve always looked forward to Lei Jun and Xiaomi joining this industry. I believed it was only a matter of time, and that they would certainly have a chance to succeed.”

Both Xiaomi Auto and XPeng Motors released their October delivery results today. Xiaomi’s deliveries continued to surpass 40,000 units, while XPeng achieved a record-breaking 42,013 deliveries in a single month — marking the second consecutive month exceeding 40,000 units. Cumulatively, from January to October 2025, XPeng delivered 355,209 vehicles, representing an impressive 190% year-on-year growth.

He Xiaopeng’s long-standing connection with Xiaomi’s founder Lei Jun dates back several years. Following the launch of the new XPeng P7 on August 27, He recalled a conversation from 2017: “I told Lei Jun that Xiaomi was a great fit for car manufacturing. Xiaomi already had strong internet software and hardware genes — both highly relevant to building smart vehicles.”

Interestingly, He also revealed that Lei Jun once tried to dissuade him from entering the automotive industry. “If you ever want to ‘trap’ a friend,” He joked, “just suggest they start building cars.” He explained further, “For any new entrepreneur, launching a startup in the automotive space is an extremely difficult challenge.”