XPeng Inc. (“XPeng” or the “Company”, NYSE: XPEV), a leading Chinese smart electric vehicle (“Smart EV”) company, today announced its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021.

Photo credit: XPeng

First Quarter 2021 Operational Highlights  

• Deliveries of vehicles reached 13,340 in the first quarter of 2021, representing an increase of 487.4% from 2,271 in the corresponding period of 2020 and an increase of 2.9% from 12,964 in the fourth quarter of 2020.

• Among the total P7s delivered as of the quarter, 96% can support XPILOT 2.5 or XPILOT 3.0.

• As ofMarch 31, 2021,XPeng's physical sales and service network consisted of atotal of 178 stores and 61 service centers, covering 70 cities.

• As of March 31, 2021, XPeng-branded super charging stations expanded to 172, covering 60 cities.

 First Quarter 2021 Financial Highlights  

• Total revenues were RMB2,950.9 million (US$450.4 million) for the first quarter of 2021, representing an increase of 616.1% from RMB412.1 million for the same period of 2020 and an increase of 3.5% from RMB2,851.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2020.

• Revenues from vehicle sales were RMB2,810.3 million (US$428.9 million) for the first quarter of 2021, representing an increase of 655.2% from RMB372.2 million for the same period of 2020, and an increase of 2.7% from RMB2,735.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2020.

• Gross margin was 11.2% for the first quarter of 2021, compared with negative 4.8% for the same period of 2020 and 7.4% for the fourth quarter of 2020.

• Vehicle margin, which is gross profit of vehicle sales as a percentage of revenues from vehicle sales, was 10.1% for the first quarter of 2021, compared to negative 5.3% for the same period of 2020 and 6.8% for the fourth quarter of 2020.

• Net loss was RMB786.6 million (US$120.1 million) for the first quarter of 2021, compared with RMB649.8 million for the same period of 2020 and RMB787.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2020. Excluding share-based compensation expenses and fair value change on derivative liabilities related to the redemption right of preferred shares, non-GAAP net loss was RMB696.3 million (US$106.3 million) in the first quarter of 2021, compared with RMB644.8 million for the same period of 2020 and RMB712.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2020.

• Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of XPeng Inc. was RMB786.6 million (US$120.1 million) for the first quarter of 2021, compared with RMB935.1 million for the same period of 2020 and RMB787.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2020. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, fair value change on derivative liabilities related to the redemption right of preferred shares and accretion on preferred shares to redemption value, non-GAAP net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of XPeng Inc. was RMB696.3 million (US$106.3 million) for the first quarter of 2021, compared with RMB644.8 million for the same period of 2020 and RMB712.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2020.

• Basic and diluted net loss per American depositary share (ADS)              were both RMB0.99 (US$0.15) for the first quarter of 2021. Non-GAAP basic and diluted net loss per ADS were both RMB0.88 (US$0.13) for the first quarter of 2021. Each ADS represents two Class A ordinary shares.

• Cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, short-term deposits, short-term investments and long-term deposits were RMB36,201.0 million (US$5,525.4 million) as of March 31, 2021.

“The first quarter kicked off a great start to 2021 with a record-breaking vehicle deliveries notwithstanding seasonally slower demand for automobiles and the semiconductor shortage,” said Mr. He Xiaopeng, Chairman and CEO of XPeng. “Our strong momentum in the quarter was propelled by our industry-leading full-stack autonomous driving technology, solid differentiated product strategy and our vision to lead Smart EV development and transformation.

“Notably, since releasing OTA updates for XPILOT 3.0 in late January, we are now recognizing revenues from our proprietary XPILOT software. As we continue to grow with rapid technology iterations powered by our full-stack in-house R&D capabilities and strong closed-loop data capabilities, I believe that XPILOT's software monetization will become recurring revenues as part of the revenues from our vehicle sales.

“Rapid software iterations also support our ability to continuously introduce new vehicle models featuring more powerful hardware. The debut of the P5, the world's first mass-produced LiDAR-equipped Smart EV, underlines our mission to shape the mobility experience of the future.

“Looking ahead, we remain dedicated to our long-term strategic roadmap and technology innovations to fuel Smart EV transformation. Additionally, we will continue long-term investments in building out our sales, service and charging facilities, as well as our production and supply chain capabilities to support vigorous growth over the next few years,” Mr. He added.

“XPeng's robust performance in the first quarter of 2021 demonstrates our strong capabilities to make differentiated Smart EVs that appeal to various needs of a large and growing customer base,” said Dr. Brian Gu, Vice Chairman and President of XPeng. “Thanks to our record-breaking deliveries in this quarter, our revenues reached RMB2,950.9 million in Q1, representing year-over-year growth of 616.1%. We also witnessed further improvement in our profitability. In particular, our gross margin continued the upward trend and reached 11.2% in the quarter.

“Additionally, the revenue realized from our proprietary software reflect that we are at the forefront of the industry in autonomous driving software subscription. Moreover, our sound financial condition and strong cash position enable us to better execute our growth strategies, cement competitive advantages and grasp enormous growth opportunities in the Smart EV sector,” Dr. Gu concluded.

Recent Developments  

Deliveries in April 2021

Total Smart EV deliveries reached 5,147 units in April 2021, representing a 285.3% increase year-over-year. The April deliveries consisted of 2,995 P7s, XPeng’s smart sports sedan, and 2,152 G3s, XPeng's compact smart SUV. As of April 30, 2021, year-to-date deliveries reached 18,487 units, representing a 412.5% increase year-over-year.

New Smart EV Manufacturing Base

On April 8, 2021, XPeng entered into a cooperation agreement with the City of Wuhan to develop and build the XPeng Motors Wuhan Smart EV Manufacturing Base (“Wuhan Base”).

Supported by the Wuhan government, XPeng will commence the construction of the new Wuhan Base, featuring manufacturing and powertrain plants as well as R&D facilities. With an annual capacity by 100,000 units, the Wuhan Base will further bolster XPeng’s ability to capture growing consumer demand for Smart EVs.

Expanding into China’s major auto manufacturing hub with strong local government support is another landmark in XPeng’s strategic development, and cements its leadership position in the Smart EV sector.

Debut of Third Production Model

In April 2021, XPeng debuted its third production model, the XPeng P5 smart sedan, which is the world’s first mass-produced Smart EV equipped with automotive-grade LiDAR technology. Powered by XPeng’s full-stack in-house developed autonomous driving technology – XPILOT and intelligent in-car operating system – Xmart OS, the P5 will provide users with market-leading Smart EV driving experience on the XPILOT 3.5 and the Xmart OS 3.0.

Forming New Strategic Partnership

On April 15, 2021, XPeng entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Zhongsheng Group to establish a long-term strategic partnership to deliver both XPeng’s industry-leading Smart EV products and Zhongsheng’s high quality services to consumers, in order to further boost the Smart EV transformation in China.

   First Quarter 2021 Unaudited Financial Results  

Total revenues were RMB2,950.9 million (US$450.4 million) for the first quarter of 2021, representing an increase of 616.1% from RMB412.1 million for the same period of 2020 and an increase of 3.5% from RMB2,851.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2020.

Revenues from vehicle sales were RMB2,810.3 million (US$428.9 million) for the first quarter of 2021, representing an increase of 655.2% from RMB372.2 million for the same period of 2020 and an increase of 2.7% from RMB2,735.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2020. The year-over-year increase was mainly due to delivery of the P7, which started at the end of June 2020. The quarter-over-quarter increase was primarily attributable to the revenue recognition on XPILOT 3.0 software in the first quarter of 2021 since the functionality was delivered to an accumulated group of software purchasers, partially offset by the lower government subsidy for the new energy vehicle starting from January this year.

Revenues from services and others were RMB140.6 million (US$21.5 million) for the first quarter of 2021, representing an increase of 252.2% from RMB39.9 million for the same period of 2020 and an increase of 21.3% from RMB115.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2020. The year-over-year and the quarter-over-quarter increases were mainly attributed to higher sales of parts, accessories, and services in line with higher accumulated vehicle sales.

Cost of sales was RMB2,621.1 million (US$400.1 million) for the first quarter of 2021, representing an increase of 506.8% from RMB431.9 million for the same period of 2020, and a decrease of 0.7% from RMB2,640.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2020. The year-over-year increase was mainly due to the increase of vehicle deliveries as described above, while the quarter-over-quarter decrease was mainly due to favorable material cost reduction.

Gross margin was 11.2% for the first quarter of 2021, compared to negative 4.8% and 7.4% for the first quarter of 2020 and the fourth quarter of 2020, respectively.

Vehicle margin was 10.1% for the first quarter of 2021, compared to negative 5.3% for the same period of 2020 and 6.8% for the fourth quarter of 2020. The improvement was primarily attributable to material cost reduction and revenue recognition of XPILOT software sales.

Research and development expenses  were RMB535.1 million (US$81.7 million) for the first quarter of 2021, representing an increase of 72.2% from RMB310.8 million for the same period of 2020 and an increase of 16.3% from RMB460.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2020. The year-over-year increase was mainly due to (i) the increase in employee compensation as a result of expanded research and development staff, (ii) higher expenses relating to the P5 development, and (iii) share-based compensation expenses recognized in the first quarter of 2021. The quarter-over-quarter increase was mainly due to (i) the increase in employee compensation in line with increasing engineering staff, and (ii) higher expenses relating to the development of the P5.

Selling, general and administrative expenses were RMB720.8 million (US$110.0 million) for the first quarter of 2021, representing an increase of 124.0% from RMB321.8 million for the same period of 2020 and a decrease of 21.5% from RMB917.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2020. The year-over-year increase was mainly due to (i) higher marketing, promotional and advertising expenses to support vehicle sales, (ii) the expansion of our sales network and associated personnel cost, lease expenses for sales and service stores, and commission for the franchised stores, and (iii) share-based compensation expenses recognized in the first quarter of 2021. The quarter-over-quarter decrease was mainly due to lower marketing, promotional and advertising expenses compared with peak sales season in the fourth quarter.

Loss from operations was RMB903.9 million (US$138.0 million) for the first quarter of 2021, compared with RMB649.3 million for the same period of 2020 and RMB1,121.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2020.

Non-GAAP loss from operations, which excludes share-based compensation expenses, was RMB813.7 million (US$124.2 million) in the first quarter of 2021, compared with RMB649.3 million for the same period of 2020 and RMB1,046.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2020.

Net loss was RMB786.6 million (US$120.1 million) for the first quarter of 2021, compared with RMB649.8 million for the same period of 2020 and RMB787.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2020.

Non-GAAP net loss, which excludes share-based compensation expenses and fair value change on derivative liabilities related to the redemption right of preferred shares, was RMB696.3 million (US$106.3 million) for the first quarter of 2021, compared with RMB644.8 million for the same period of 2020 and RMB712.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2020.

Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of XPeng Inc. was RMB786.6 million (US$120.1 million) for the first quarter of 2021, compared with RMB935.1 million for the same period of 2020 and RMB787.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Non-GAAP net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of XPeng Inc., which excludes share-based compensation expenses, fair value change on derivative liabilities related to the redemption right of preferred shares and accretion on preferred shares to redemption value,was RMB696.3 million (US$106.3 million) for the first quarter of 2021, compared with RMB644.8 million for the same period of 2020 and RMB712.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2020.

Basic and diluted net loss per ADS were both RMB0.99 (US$0.15) for the first quarter of 2021, compared to RMB5.16 for the first quarter of 2020 and RMB1.05 for the fourth quarter of 2020.

Non-GAAP basic and diluted net loss per ADS were both RMB0.88 (US$0.13) for the first quarter of 2021, compared to RMB3.56 for the first quarter of 2020 and RMB0.95 for the fourth quarter of 2020.

Balance Sheets  

As of March 31, 2021, the Company had cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, short-term deposits, short-term investments and long-term deposits of RMB36,201.0 million (US$5,525.4 million), compared to RMB35,342.1 million as of December 31, 2020.

Business Outlook  

For the second quarter of 2021, the Company expects:

• Deliveries of vehicles to be between 15,500 and 16,000 vehicles, representing a year-over-year increase of approximately 380.2% to 395.7%.

• Total revenues to be between RMB3.4 billion and RMB3.5 billion, representing a year-over-year increase of approximately 475.5% to 492.4%.

The above outlook is based on the current market conditions and reflects the Company's preliminary estimates of market and operating conditions, and customer demand, which are all subject to change.