Photo credit: Xpeng

Chinese electric car maker Xpeng has formally launched a production factory in the Chinese city of Zhaoqing, a few weeks after receiving a production license from regulatory authorities. The newly opened factory is where Xpeng will roll out the first Xpeng P7, a new electric sports sedan that the company recently unveiled. Since its inception, Xpeng has contracted the manufacturing of its vehicles to third-party companies. With the launch of its own factory, however, Xpeng will now take manufacturing into its own hands.

Xpeng’s new factory is run by a team of 600 people. A sizeable portion of the factory’s operations happens to be automated. To help run the factory, Xpeng poached engineers from leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and with significant experience in running factories.

Xpeng’s new factory was built over a period of 15 months. The factory doesn’t seem to be fully completed but will span a planned area of 3,000 acres when complete.

Aerial overview of Xpeng’s factory. Photo credit: Xpeng