Xpeng has accumulated gains of more than 14 percent in the past seven trading days, while Li Auto is up about 13 percent and BYD is up 10 percent in the same period.

Earlier today, Xpeng released its first Environmental, Social and Governance Report (ESG Report) on Friday, detailing the company's performance on ESG.

The company received an AA rating from MSCI ESG Research for the second consecutive year in 2021, the highest MSCI ESG rating of any global automotive company.

By comparison, peer benchmarking by MSCI ESG shows Tesla, BYD and Daimler AG all with A ratings, Toyota with BBB and VW with B.

Xpeng's local peer Li Auto rose 3.18 percent to HK$113.50, up about 13 percent in the past seven trading days.

Nomura initiated coverage of Li Auto in a research note sent to investors Thursday, with analyst Martin Heung giving the company a buy rating on its US-traded ADR and a $43.40 price target.

Li Auto rose 2.65 percent to $29.45 in the US on Thursday, and that price target implies a 47 percent upside.

Li Auto is one of the prominent domestic electric vehicle startups in China, along with Nio and Xpeng Motors, Heung said.

He believes Li Auto has managed to differentiate itself from other brands with its unique extended-range technology for electric vehicles, allowing more skeptical car buyers to try to consider buying an electric car without worrying too much about battery charging.

BYD is up 5.36 percent to HK$267.4 at press time, up 10 percent in the past seven trading days.

China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data released Tuesday showed BYD's wholesale sales reached 70,432 units in September, topping Tesla China's 56,006 units, making it the top-selling brand in the territory.

Other companies with more than 10,000 wholesale sales in September included SAIC-GM-Wuling with 38,850 units, SAIC Passenger Car with 21,552 units, GAC Aion with 13,572 units, Great Wall Motor with 12,770 units, Nio with 10,628 units and Xpeng Motors with 10,412 units, according to the CPCA.