XPeng Inc. (XPEV) announced Thursday a strategic partnership with Antom that tackles one of the more annoying problems in the EV world: paying for charging when you're not in your home market.
Here's the setup. XPeng operates a charging network that spans 31 countries with over 2.66 million charging piles. Antom, the payment arm of Ant International, supports over 300 payment methods in more than 200 markets. Put them together, and XPeng drivers can suddenly pay for charging using whatever local payment app they already have on their phone, whether that's an e-wallet, mobile banking app, or other regional method.
The partnership kicks off in Hong Kong and will expand across Southeast Asia and other markets by 2026. This makes XPeng the first Chinese EV maker to establish this kind of global payment cooperation with Antom, which is a meaningful distinction as Chinese automakers race to build out international operations.
Building the Infrastructure for Global Growth
The Antom deal fits into XPeng's broader strategy to create a seamless charging experience from start to finish. Find a charger, plug in, pay without fussing with unfamiliar payment systems, and drive away. Simple in theory, surprisingly complicated in practice when you're operating across dozens of countries.
In Hong Kong, XPeng has already partnered with local players like Cornerstone Technologies and EV Power to support over 1,600 public EV chargers. The Antom integration will layer payment flexibility on top of that physical infrastructure.
Looking ahead, XPeng plans to extend services to Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and beyond. Antom will help integrate region-specific payment methods like DANA in Indonesia and Touch 'n Go eWallet in Malaysia, smoothing the path for XPeng's international expansion.
Strong International Sales, Bumpy January
The timing makes sense given XPeng's overseas momentum. The company's international deliveries jumped 96% year-over-year, reaching 45,008 units in 2025. That's the kind of growth that makes solving cross-border payment friction worth the effort.
But the story isn't all sunshine. Last Monday, XPeng shares dropped after the company reported weak January 2026 deliveries. The Chinese EV maker delivered 20,011 vehicles that month, marking a 34% year-over-year decline.
XPeng did launch its P7+ model simultaneously across 36 countries and made its European debut at the 2026 Brussels Motor Show in January, so the company is clearly pushing hard on international expansion even as domestic numbers soften.
XPEV Price Action: XPeng shares were up 0.45% at $17.80 during premarket trading on Monday.
