In 2019, the Porsche Taycan achieved something remarkable even before its global debut – it completed a 24-hour endurance run at Italy’s Nardo high-speed test track, covering a total of 2,128 miles within a single day. The new Mercedes-Benz CLA, also before its big debut earlier this year, surpassed the Taycan’s feat, reaching 2,309 miles within a day. Now, a new contender has surpassed both, and it’s called the XPeng P7.
The XPend P7 is an electric sedan sold in China, rivaling the Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model S there, along with other nameplates sold by Chinese automakers. The P7 covered 2,461 miles in its 24-hour endurance test, totally upending both German sedans. It also broke a previous record in China, set by the Xiaomi YU7 Max, an electric SUV, which covered 2,451 miles.
Definitely Not A Cakewalk For These Automakers
While not as groundbreaking as other records set by EVs, such as the fastest lap times at the Nürburgring set by the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra, the 24-hour endurance challenge is no way a cakewalk for these automakers. The cars had to run the track non-stop for the entire day, with breaks only happening for ultra-rapid charging and driver changes. The EVs were also running at a high speed, with an average speed of 131 mph.
The test is designed to test the sustained performance and charging efficiency of EVs. These machines are already known to provide exhilarating performance right off the line, but they should also be able to replicate those sublime numbers over and over again. And apparently, XPeng chairman He Xiaopeng was challenged by Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun to take the grueling test and showcase the new EV’s on-road mettle, CarNewsChina reports.
From Endurance To Longest Range Challenge
The XPeng P7 is, of course, equipped for these tests. It comes with an 800V high-voltage architecture, which means it can add up to 326 miles of range within 10 minutes. The car itself has a range of up to 510 miles based on CLTC standards. In terms of performance, the P7 can sprint from 0-62 mph in under 3 seconds and has a top speed of 143 mph. It was announced last week, with pre-orders already taken prior to its official launch this month.
In other news, but still related to EVs, there’s another fiery battle going on, which the Polestar 3 just ignited a few days ago. The Swedish EV bagged the Guinness World Record for the longest trip made by an electric SUV on a single charge, done just a month after Lucid set the same record with the Air Grand Touring. Maybe it’s time for these Chinese EVs to join in and set a range record for themselves.
Source: CarNewsChina