Shanghai (ZXZC)- Xpeng Motors has been approved by the government to produce vehicles at its fully-owned manufacturing plant in Zhaoqing, Guangdong province, the EV startup announced on May 19.

The acquisition of the production license came with MIIT’s issuance of the newest Announcement of Road Power-Driven Vehicle Manufacturing Enterprises and Products (hereinafter referred to as “the Catalogue”), which said the manufacturing base address of Zhaoqing Xiaopeng New Energy Investment Co.,Ltd. (Zhaoqing Xiaopeng) has been changed to Zhaoqing Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone in Guangdong province, on which Xpeng’s first self-built plant is located.

(Photo source: Xpeng Motor's WeChat account)

According to the business data research platform Tianyancha, Zhaoqing Xiaopeng, an investment subsidiary of Xpeng, has wholly acquired the stake in Guangdong FODAY Automobile Co.,Ltd. at 16 million yuan ($2,250,446), and Xpeng's president Xia Heng and vice president He Tao have taken chairs at FODAY's senior management.

The transaction implies that Xpeng Motors has obtained the qualification to independently make vehicles via a buyout of an existing complete vehicle manufacturer, said a local media outlet. However, Xpeng replied then the factual result should be in accordance with the official announcement given by the administrative department for commerce and industry.

The EV startup broke ground in December 2017 on its Zhaoqing manufacturing plant, whose “topping out” was celebrated in last September, and tool tryout and pre-production have been underway.

The plant will initially make Xpeng’s new P7 electric sedan model, said He Xiaopeng, founder and chairman of Xpeng Motors. The BEV model hit the market on April 27, boasting a NEDC-rated range of up to 706km.

The Guangzhou-based company is also building the G3 SUVs at the Zhengzhou-based intelligent plant, which is jointly built by Xpeng and Haima Automobile.