Author: Yi Wang
Apart from the CEO of XPeng Motors, He XPeng has also gained a new title – a member of the national People’s Congress.
On March 3rd, XPeng Motors announced that He XPeng has been elected as a member of the National People’s Congress for the first time this year, and has put forward suggestions to explore how to accelerate the application and landing of the systematic guarantee of the automatic driving industry.
At the beginning of the 21st century, during the prosperous era of China’s internet, young He XPeng had already become the founder of UC Browser.
The journey towards his dream was filled with hardship, but also gave He XPeng infinite passion and motivation. He never gives up, loves to compete, and dares to dream. He led UC to explore and navigate their way.
Ten years later, UC was acquired by Alibaba, and He XPeng, who had just started his own business, gained financial freedom.
However, He XPeng never stopped pursuing his dream with a developmental perspective and towards the booming new energy electric vehicle industry. In his prime, He XPeng has officially entered the new energy electric vehicle industry, and now leads XPeng Motors.
Today, He XPeng has become a member of the National People’s Congress, which marks another advancement in his life, and also an important opportunity for the new energy industry to develop towards intelligence.
In 1977, He XPeng was born in an ordinary working-class family in Huangshi, Hubei Province. He grew up in a not-so-affluent environment, but he was very sensible from a young age. While working hard to study, he also helped his parents with the chores to reduce the burden on the family.
In 1995, the 18-year-old He XPeng graduated from Huangshi Second School, which was one of the top 100 schools in China, and was admitted to the Computer Science Department of South China University of Technology. At that time, China had just joined the international internet, and the development of the computer science industry was eagerly anticipated.
Four years later, He XPeng graduated from South China University of Technology and entered the Asiainfo Company, which was known as the “Huangpu Military Academy” of China’s IT industry. During his time at Asiainfo, he worked in various departments of the company as a manager, including the technical manager, testing manager, and project manager.
He XPeng has always been a determined person. While working, he also liked to find people around him to aim to surpass himself. In this way, he surpassed one person after another. However, as a worker, he found that he couldn’t surpass his boss in any way.
Therefore, He XPeng, who was full of longing for the future, decided to start a business and become a boss himself.
In 2004, He XPeng chose to leave Asiainfo. His college senior, Liang Jie, was also working at Asiainfo and was a key member of the development of the company’s large-capacity email system. He eventually left Asiainfo as well. In the same year, the two founded UC Yousee (UC) in Guangzhou. Their first project was to develop mobile email (UCMAIL).“`
Vision is infinitely beautiful, but reality always strikes us. Due to a lack of internet popularity at the time, UCMAIL did not achieve the expected promotion effect, and the company was once in crisis. Fortunately, Netease founder Ding Lei became an angel investor and lent them 800,000 yuan to ease the urgent need.
Subsequently, He XPeng and Liang Jie launched the predecessor of UC browser, UCWeb. With the popularity of the Internet, the number of UCweb users increased significantly. For He XPeng, on the one hand, this is undoubtedly a good thing, but on the other hand, it also hides a crisis. After all, if the server cannot keep up, what’s the point of having users?
This time, fortunately, with the encouragement funds of 100,000 yuan from the Guangzhou government, otherwise He XPeng would have to continue to borrow money to pay employees’ salaries.
In 2005, Li Xueling introduced Vice President Yu Yongfu of Lenovo’s investment to He XPeng. Yu Yongfu was very optimistic about the UC project and wanted to bring Lenovo’s investment to UC, but unfortunately, it did not pass the committee’s vote.
Although he did not get Lenovo’s investment as he wished, Yu Yongfu eventually joined UC as CEO. Moreover, Yu Yongfu introduced Lei Jun to He XPeng. With Lei Jun’s investment, the funding problem was solved. UC developed rapidly in the following years and absorbed 400 million users, becoming very popular.
In June 2014, UC Browser, which had become the world’s largest third-party mobile browser, was announced to be acquired by Alibaba for US$4 billion. He XPeng achieved financial freedom at a young age and joined Alibaba.
In the eyes of others, He XPeng, who was already a successful person, did not stop there. His second venture was about to begin.
In 2014, new forces in the domestic car-making industry were starting to make moves. At that time, He XPeng saw the future of the electric car industry.
During this period, He XPeng studied enterprise management knowledge at Alibaba to accumulate experience for his second venture. At the same time, he became the core investor of XPeng Motors.
In May 2017, XPeng Motors’ production base with a capacity of billions settled in Zhaoqing City. In June, XPeng announced that it had completed 2.2 billion yuan in series A financing.
“`In August 2017, He XPeng resigned from Alibaba and became the chairman of XPeng Motors, officially entering the electric vehicle field.
Two months later, XPeng Motors’ first batch of mass-produced SUV models were launched, becoming the leader among internet carmakers. Among all new players in the car manufacturing industry, XPeng Motors was the first internet car company to obtain the product announcement from the National Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. At the end of the same year, Alibaba officially began investing in XPeng.
In August 2020, XPeng Motors was listed on the New York Stock Exchange, with “XPEV” as its stock code, and He XPeng’s worth skyrocketed to $4.2 billion dollars. In July of the following year, XPeng Motors went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with a net worth of $5.5 billion dollars, ranking among the Forbes’ Global Billionaire List.
Currently, XPeng Motors has launched several models for sale, including G3, G9, P5, and P7. It also plans to establish XPeng delivery and service centers in European countries such as Norway, the Netherlands, and Sweden, continuously expanding its business scope and seeking wider development opportunities.
However, crises always occur under flourishing beginnings. Multiple incidents such as brake failures and self-ignition of new energy vehicles have caused crises for XPeng. The continuous and fierce competition among new car-making forces goes without saying.
There is no easy road to success. Even He XPeng himself has admitted, “Making cars is a regretful philosophy.”
There are highs and lows in every journey. Chip crises, financing difficulties, public opinion, and supply chain issues have all caused trouble for He XPeng, but none of these difficulties have been able to stop his exploration and the forward progress of XPeng.
Setbacks and difficulties inspire this explorer who has always been willing to take risks, giving He XPeng more possibilities.
In 2023, as the 14th session of the National People’s Congress approaches, He XPeng was elected as a representative for the first time and proposed “Recommendations on exploring and accelerating the application of accessible guarantees for autonomous driving”. Once again, He XPeng achieved personal growth and has reached a higher platform to showcase his autonomous driving dream.
In the context of the acceleration of the intelligence process in new energy vehicles, as well as the accelerated development and application of autonomous driving technology, NPC deputy He XPeng put forward three proposals to the Congress. Firstly, to explore the establishment of a system for autonomous driving technology and autonomous driving vehicle insurance products. Secondly, to promote the acceleration of the city’s high-precision map review process. Thirdly, to promote the acceleration of the legislation work on intelligent connected vehicles and autonomous driving, and to improve the revision and formulation of relevant laws and regulations.
Intelligence has always been the direction pursued by XPeng Motors, and it is bound to be the trend of the automotive industry in the future. The proposal of these three proposals may become a driving force to accelerate the development of intelligent connected vehicles in the near future.
From joining AsiaInfo in 1999 to founding UC in 2004; from joining Alibaba in 2014 and tasting the sweetness brought by entrepreneurial success, to becoming the chairman of XPeng Motors in 2017 and embarking on his second bold entrepreneurship, He XPeng has always maintained his spirit of hard work, and has explored the forefront of one emerging field after another with his own strength and far-sighted vision, despite the challenges faced. Although it has been a difficult and challenging journey, it has also been fulfilling and joyful.
If we could turn back the clock to 2014, perhaps the confident He XPeng would not have continued pursuing his dream of electric vehicles, and would have stayed comfortably at Alibaba, and there might not be today’s XPeng Motors. However, I believe that the ambitious He XPeng, who likes to set goals for himself and strive to surpass and pursue them, would not let such a possibility happen.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.