China’s XPeng EV brand beats Tesla on tech

August 7, 2021August 11, 2021 Stephen Corby 2425 Views China, ev, Tesla

Electric vehicles have outperformed traditional internal-combustion-engined brands in a ranking of technical innovation conducted by JD Power.

And Chinese EV brand XPeng has topped the lot, outperforming tech champion Tesla.

The JD Power 2021 China Tech Experience Index Study, now in it second year, surveys owners of recently purchased vehicles on in-vehicle technologies and measures how effectively each brand has brought those technologies to market.

The study looked at no fewer than 42 in-vehicle technologies and creates an index base on the level of adoption of those innovations, along with “excellence in execution”.

Much like the famed JD Power reliability surveys, major car brands are then ranked, with innovation index ratings on a 1000-point scale. New electric vehicle start-ups based in China managed to beat all other brands in the index (but then the study did take place in China, so some national pride might be at work there), with an overall average score of 590, versus the industry average of 504.

Mercedes-EQ EQS580 4Matic — Mercedes-Benz is ramping up the tech with its EQS electric limousine

Mass-market ICE vehicles managed an overall score on the innovation index of just 492, which would seem to indicate that EVs is where technological progress is happening the fastest. And with the most excellence.

The highest ranked ICE brand in the luxury segment was Mercedes-Benz, with a score of 550, with BMW and Porsche tied after that on 534.

Chinese brand WEY was the highest overall for ICE cars, at 549.

Step into the EV segment however and the scores leap, with XPeng highest of those brands at 615, well in front of Tesla, at 597.

“There is no doubt that more and more players are getting into the intelligent vehicle field, with both the first mover and the new joiner thriving to grasp the only opportunity to win the new battle,” said Jeff Cai, general manager of auto product practice at JD Power China.

Tesla Model S Plaid — From steering wheels to infotainment screens, Tesla has redefined tech in cars – but Chinese brand XPeng has scored ahead of the American brand

“The more competitive the field, the more automakers need to delve into user demand and user experience.

“By investing resources in the areas where users most need, while consistently improving the perceived quality and user experience of the advanced technologies, brands can gain a good footing in the new intelligent vehicle field.”

The 2021 study was based on responses from 32,141 ICE vehicle owners who purchased their vehicles between June 2020 and March 2021, as well as 3976 EV, PHEV and FCEV owners who purchased their cars between September 2020 and March 2021.

Brand	Innovation Index
XPeng	615
Tesla	597
Li Auto	577
Mercedes-Benz	550
WEY	549
BMW	534
Porsche	534
Lynk & Co	532
Volvo	529
Lincoln	527
FAW Hongqi	521
Venucia	518
Chery	514
Changan Mazda	513
Mini	513
Oshan	511
Jetour	509
FAW Mazda	504
Changan Ford	503
FAW Toyota	503
GAC Trumpchi	502
Dongfeng Nissan	500
Beijing Hyundai	498
MG	498
Changan	497
GAC Mitsubishi	497
FAW Besturn	496
Dongfeng Fengshen	493
GAC Honda	492

Source: JD Power China

Stephen Corby

Stephen is a former editor of both Wheels and Top Gear Australia magazines and has been writing about cars since Henry Ford was a boy. Initially an EV sceptic, he has performed a 180-degree handbrake turn and is now a keen advocate for electrification and may even buy a Porsche Taycan one day, if he wins the lottery. Twice.