Xpeng's X9 MPV delivered 1,959 units in April, bringing cumulative deliveries since launch to nearly 10,000 units.

Xpeng (NYSE: XPEV) saw deliveries rebound slightly last month from the month before, and its new brand Mona (Made of New AI) will debut next month.

The electric vehicle (BEV) maker delivered 9,393 vehicles in April, up 4.07 percent from March and up 32.69 percent year-on-year, according to data released today.

In the January-April period, Xpeng delivered 31,214 vehicles, up 23.33 percent year-on-year.

At the end of April, the company's cumulative deliveries since inception stood at 431,525 vehicles, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.

The Xpeng X9 MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) had monthly deliveries of 1,959 vehicles in April, with cumulative deliveries since launch nearing 10,000 vehicles, it said.

The X9 was unveiled on the first day of the 2023 Guangzhou auto show on November 17, 2023 and was officially launched on January 1, with deliveries commencing on January 16.

With a starting price of RMB 359,800 ($49,700), the MPV model is the most expensive in Xpeng's product array and is seen as helping the company to improve gross margins.

Moreover, Xpeng said it will debut its new brand Mona in June. This is a slight delay from previously announced plans.

In a speech at the China EV100 Forum in Beijing on March 16, He Xiaopeng, Xpeng's chairman and CEO, said the company would launch a new brand within a month, targeting the market with a price range of RMB 100,000 to RMB 150,000 yuan.

The new brand was supposed to be a project codenamed Mona, although Mr. He didn't directly mention it.

In announcing the acquisition of ride-hailing giant Didi Global's EV business on August 28, 2023, Xpeng said it plans to launch a new brand codenamed Mona in 2024.

The first model of the Mona program will be an A-class smart EV to be launched in 2024. The new model and brand will be distinct from the Xpeng branded products and the main brand, it said last year.

Didi will provide mobility ecosystem support for the Mona project, and will pave the way for Xpeng to build a mass-market RMB 150,000 price segment smart electric model, according to a statement from Xpeng last year.

In April, the monthly active user penetration rate of XNGP (Xpeng navigation guided pilot) in urban driving scenarios reached 82 percent, Xpeng said in the statement today.

In the same month, Xpeng completed NGP functionality testing on German highways, and is steadily progressing in the development phase of launching highway NGP for overseas markets, it said.

Xpeng also enhanced the human-like capabilities of its XNGP ADAS with one of the first large models for neural network-based planning and control -- XPlanner, it said.

In addition, Xpeng previewed AI Valet Driver, a feature that can memorize and customize up to 10 driving routes of 100 kilometers, ensuring seamless nationwide coverage regardless of XNGP availability, it said.

At the 2024 Beijing auto show, Xpeng showcased its latest AI innovations, including XOS 5.1.0 or the Tianji OS.

The latest XOS, the industry's first operating system to integrate AI into smart cockpits and smart driving, is set for release on May 20, the company said.

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