Hyperdrive

China’s Electric Car Sales War Is Being Waged Inside the Cabin

Automakers in the world’s top EV market are focusing more on in-car technology and new products.

The XPeng P7 Wing Limited Edition.

Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg
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Around lunchtime at an Xpeng showroom in Beijing last month, a man in a three-piece suit strolled inside and straight past rows of the company’s sleek P7 and P5 electric sedans.

Watching on, I saw him make a beeline for a display of a model of the company’s proposed flying car. “When will it be available?” he eagerly asked a member of sales staff. “I hope it’s in use as soon as possible.”