Two co-founders exit core management team? Xiaopeng responds: still lifelong honorary advisors Recently, Geshi Auto found on Xiaopeng Motors’ official website that the company’s co-founders Xia Heng and He Tao have changed from “core management team” members to “lifelong honorary” members.
According to the “Team Member Information” section of the Xiaopeng Motors official website, company co-founders Xia Heng and He Tao have transitioned from “core management team” members to “lifetime honor.” Currently, the “core team members” of Xiaopeng Motors are Chairman/CEO He Xiaopeng, President Wang Fengying, and Vice Chairman/Co-President Gu Hongdi. Regarding the rumors of Xia Heng and He Tao leaving the company, Xiaopeng Motors responded that co-founders Mr. Xia Heng and Mr. He Tao will continue to support the company’s development in the capacity of lifetime honorary advisors. The information shows that Xia Heng and He Tao are both co-founders of Xiaopeng Motors. Xia Heng holds a bachelor’s degree in automotive engineering and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Tsinghua University. He previously worked at the GAC Group Research Institute, responsible for the development of new energy vehicles and intelligent vehicle control systems. He has also served as president of Xiaopeng Motors. He Tao also holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in automotive engineering from Tsinghua University. He previously worked at the GAC Group Research Institute, where he established the autonomous driving team and was responsible for the development of new energy control systems, and participated in the development of GAC’s first NEV model. In 2014, Xia Heng, He Tao, and Yang Chunlei co-founded Xiaopeng Motors. He Xiaopeng, the current head of Xiaopeng Motors, initially served as an angel investor for Xiaopeng Motors. In August 2017, He Xiaopeng left Alibaba and joined Xiaopeng Motors as chairman. Yang Chunlei also left the ranks of Xiaopeng Motors shareholders in 2017, the same year He Xiaopeng joined. In October 2022, Xiaopeng Motors underwent an organizational restructuring. Liao Qinghong is the head of the Xiaopeng E vehicle platform, responsible for the Xiaopeng P7 and G9 models; the F platform is led by Xia Heng and is set to launch the mid-size electric SUV G6 in the second half of the year. Both platform leaders report directly to Xiaopeng Motors Chairman/CEO He Xiaopeng.
As early as 2023, there were reports that Xia Heng and He Tao, co-founders of Xiaopeng Motors, would undergo business changes. Xia Heng will be responsible for Xiaopeng’s independent components business, while He Tao’s destination remains unknown. At the end of January 2023, Wang Fengying joined Xiaopeng Motors as president, taking full responsibility for product planning, product matrix, and sales system, reporting to Xiaopeng. Business previously handled by Liao Qinghong and Xia Heng has now been entrusted to Wang Fengying. According to sales data released by Xiaopeng Motors, in January 2024, the company achieved sales of 8250 vehicles, a 59% decrease from the previous month; in February, Xiaopeng Motors delivered 4545 new vehicles. In 2024, Xiaopeng Motors has set a goal of doubling its performance, aiming to reach annual sales of 280,000 vehicles.