Xpeng sets October 15 debut and pre-sales for Mona L05

• The Mona L05 SUV is positioned above the Mona L03, which starts at 123,800 yuan ($18,400) in China.
• Xpeng is counting on new models to drive sales growth, having previously set a goal of exceeding 60,000 deliveries in a single month in the fourth quarter.

Xpeng (NYSE: XPEV) will debut the Mona L05 in China and begin pre-sales on October 15, expanding its SUV lineup to support sales growth in the fourth quarter.

The Chinese electric vehicle maker announced the schedule on Weibo on Tuesday. The pre-sales event will begin at 7 pm Beijing Time on October 15.

Xpeng is positioning the Mona L05 as a spacious 5-seat SUV for young buyers. The company teased the model a day earlier and has now confirmed the timing of its debut and pre-sales.

The company has yet to announce pricing or a formal launch date for the Mona L05. Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng said during an August 24 earnings call that the model was scheduled to launch in China in the fourth quarter.

The Mona L05 is a mid-size SUV positioned above the compact Mona L03, which launched in July, and could be priced slightly higher.

For reference, the Mona L03 launched on July 16 with a starting price of 123,800 yuan ($18,400) in China, offering both battery electric and extended-range versions.

The Mona L05 will also offer battery electric vehicle (BEV) and extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) variants, according to earlier regulatory filings, continuing Xpeng's strategy of broadening its market reach with 2 powertrain options.

The new model measures 4,870 mm in length, 1,930 mm in width and 1,636 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,940 mm. It is 220 mm longer than the Mona L03, with a wheelbase that is 90 mm longer.

The battery electric Mona L05 has a 71.1-kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, delivering a CLTC range of 615 to 660 kilometers depending on the variant, according to the filings.

The extended-range version has a 1.5-liter range extender and a 37.2-kWh battery pack. Both powertrain versions use a drive motor with a maximum output of 183 kW (245 hp).

Xpeng is broadening its market coverage with a series of SUV launches. The company launched the G9L 5-seat flagship SUV in China on September 17, while Mona L03 deliveries exceeded 10,000 units in September.

Xpeng delivered 41,256 vehicles in September, its highest monthly total this year, up 5.50% from August but down 0.78% from a year earlier, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.

Third-quarter deliveries reached a record 118,390 vehicles, up 2.05% year-on-year. However, deliveries in the first 9 months of the year totaled 284,367 vehicles, still down 9.20% from a year earlier.

CEO He said during the August earnings call that the company would aim to exceed 60,000 deliveries in a single month in the fourth quarter, supported by new models including the G9L and Mona L05.

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