China has just raised the bar for long-distance driving, unveiling a plug-in hybrid SUV that can travel more than 1,000 miles on a single tank and full battery. The new model, developed by Xpeng, stretches usable range to a level that starts to rival domestic flights, promising 1,058 miles between fuel stops in ideal conditions. It is a milestone that turns range anxiety into something closer to range abundance, and it lands at a moment when the global auto industry is rethinking how electrification should work in the real world.
Rather than chasing ever larger battery packs, Chinese brands are leaning into extended-range hybrids that blend electric motors with efficient combustion engines. By pairing a sizable battery with a fuel tank and smart energy management, Xpeng and its rivals are trying to deliver the instant torque and quiet running of an EV without the charging headaches that still dog many drivers.
Xpeng’s 1,058-mile G7 and the race to end range anxiety
Xpeng’s new SUV is pitched as a long-haul specialist, a family-sized vehicle that can cover 1,058 miles before needing to refuel or recharge. The company describes it as a plug-in hybrid that uses an electric drivetrain for most everyday driving, with a combustion engine acting primarily as a generator to extend range when the battery runs low. In practice, that means urban commuters can treat it like an EV, while long-distance travelers can rely on the engine to keep the wheels turning far beyond the reach of today’s typical battery-only models, a balance that helps explain why Xpeng is positioning this as a flagship for its next phase of growth in China.
The G7’s range figure is not just a marketing flourish, it is central to how Xpeng wants to differentiate itself in a crowded field of Chinese EV makers. The company has publicly framed the SUV as having the World’s longest range for a hybrid SUV, citing that 1,058 miles figure as proof that plug-in technology can push beyond pure electric vehicles on long trips. Reporting on the launch underscores that this is a Chinese-built SUV designed to travel that distance on a single tank and full battery, a combination that directly targets drivers who want electric performance without planning their lives around charging stops.
From Seattle to LA on one tank: what 1,058 miles really means
To understand how radical 1,058 miles of range is, it helps to translate the number into geography. In North American terms, that is roughly the distance from Seattle to Los Angeles without stopping, a corridor that has long been a benchmark for road-trip practicality. For years, even efficient diesel sedans struggled to cover that span without refueling, and most current EVs would require multiple fast-charging sessions along the way. Xpeng’s SUV effectively compresses that entire journey into a single uninterrupted run, which is why some coverage has framed it as a direct challenger to Tesla on long-haul capability.
Reports on the launch highlight that the new Chinese model is a Tesla-rivaling SUV capable of a 1,058-mile stretch from a single tank and charge, a feat that would allow drivers to cross multiple U.S. states or much of Western Europe without visiting a station. In China, where intercity travel often involves vast distances between major hubs, that kind of endurance is more than a party trick, it is a practical answer to patchy charging infrastructure outside big coastal cities. For buyers weighing whether to abandon combustion entirely, the promise of skipping both fuel pumps and chargers for an entire day’s drive is a powerful selling point.
China’s broader pivot to ultra-long-range hybrids
Xpeng’s G7 is not emerging in isolation, it is part of a broader Chinese pivot toward plug-in hybrids that stretch range beyond what most drivers will ever need. Earlier this year, another Chinese firm introduced a hybrid EV with a quoted 1,000-mile range and a 165 kW electric motor, pairing a strong electric powertrain with a combustion engine to keep the battery topped up on longer journeys. That model, marketed under the Buick Electra banner, shows how global brands are using China as a proving ground for extended-range technology that blends American nameplates with local engineering.
Coverage of the launch notes that the Chinese developed Buick Elec model promises a 1,000-mile driving span and a 165 k electric motor, underscoring how quickly range expectations are rising in the world’s largest auto market. At the same time, social media coverage of Xpeng’s announcement has framed China’s EV scene as taking a sharp turn toward long-distance freedom, with Xpeng Motors positioned alongside other domestic players like Li Auto in a race to dominate this new hybrid frontier. The pattern is clear: Chinese brands see ultra-long-range plug-ins as a strategic bridge between combustion and full electrification.
Buick, BYD and the 1,300-mile benchmark
While SUVs grab the headlines, sedans are quietly pushing the range envelope even further. Chinese automaker BYD has rolled out plug-in hybrid sedans that can travel over 1,300 miles without refueling or recharging, a figure that dwarfs even Xpeng’s ambitious SUV. These cars use large fuel tanks, efficient engines and sizable batteries to create what is essentially a rolling power plant, one that can handle daily commutes on electricity and then switch to hybrid mode for cross-country drives.
Reporting on BYD’s strategy notes that the Chinese company has introduced plug-in sedans capable of more than 1,300 miles of range, a move that is shaking up expectations in the world’s largest auto market. In parallel, Buick is promising over 1,000 Miles Of Range With Its New Plug In Hybrid Electra E7, a model described in a Synopsis as combining long-distance capability with advanced in-cabin tech. Together, BYD and Buick show that the 1,000-mile club is no longer a niche experiment but a mainstream target for both domestic Chinese brands and global manufacturers operating in China.
Why China is betting on hybrids while the West chases pure EVs
China’s embrace of ultra-long-range plug-in hybrids contrasts sharply with the strategy in many Western markets, where regulators and automakers have focused heavily on pure battery EVs. In Europe and parts of the United States, policy incentives and emissions rules have pushed companies to prioritize zero-tailpipe-emission vehicles, even if that means shorter ranges and heavier reliance on public fast-charging networks. In China, by contrast, policymakers have been more flexible about plug-in hybrids, treating them as a pragmatic tool to cut fuel use and emissions without overburdening the grid or forcing drivers to depend on still-developing charging infrastructure.
From my perspective, that flexibility helps explain why models like Xpeng’s G7 and BYD’s 1,300-mile sedans are emerging first in China rather than in Germany or California. Local brands are using the country’s vast geography and rapid tech adoption as a laboratory for new drivetrain concepts, while global names like Buick adapt with products such as the Electra E7 that promise four-figure range numbers. Media coverage of the G7’s arrival, including pieces that note it was Published with fanfare and framed as a breakthrough for Xpeng, reinforces the sense that China is setting the pace on how far a hybrid can go. As charging networks mature and battery costs fall, some of these ideas may migrate into Western lineups, but for now the most extreme expressions of range ambition are rolling out of Chinese factories.
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