Chinese EV manufacturer XPeng Motors has officially entered the yachting industry.
According to Chinese media reports, the new energy, electric vehicle and high-tech manufacturer has assembled an internal research and development team of around 100 people for the project.
Codenamed the ‘Flying Fish’ the project is led by Qian Zhanwei, XPeng’s head of vehicle architecture and is currently in the R&D phase.
The yacht project is understood to focus on chassis algorithm technology and to target high-net-worth individual (HNWI) families.
The Flying Fish project is just one of Xpeng’s high-tech mobility solutions. The company has developed a range of road EVs and even an EV that can fly – the company’s flying car unit Aridge recently completed a funding round of almost $200 million.
The technology company says it is delivering the future of mobility, offering better, more innovative ways to move.
Future mobility
Founded in 2014, the company believes that technology and the rapid development of AI will transform future mobility and says it is establishing itself as a leader in the development of smart mobility defined by integrated internet and AI technology.
The company’s major Physical AI applications have recently gone into mass production, with its Robotaxi delivering autonomous driving capabilities rolling out of the factory.
With the Flying Fish, Xpeng will be targeting the Chinese yacht market which is undergoing a surge of rapid growth.
Despite rise in the number of registered yachts in the country – the latest Ministry of Transport figures show newly registered yachts account for more than 50% of the total number – the country’s yacht manufacturing industry only holds a global market share of around 4%.
Marine industry market
Xpeng will not be the first automotive brand to enter the yacht manufacturing arena and will follow luxury brands such as Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG, Lamborghini, Porsche and Lexus into the marine industry market.
Earlier in 2026, JD.com founder Richard Liu announced he was establishing the yacht brand Sea Expandary to focus on smart yachts with the aim of making them accessible to thousands of Chinese households.
Xpeng is headquartered in Guangzhou, China, with main offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Silicon Valley, San Diego and Amsterdam.
