Lee Man-sik, Executive Vice President of Volvo Korea, Named Interim CEO of Xpeng Korea… "Bringing in a 30-Year Veteran of the Imported Car Industry"

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Xpeng, a Chinese emerging premium electric vehicle (EV) brand, has appointed Lee Man-sik, Executive Vice President of Volvo Cars Korea, as the inaugural head of its Korean subsidiary, "Xpeng Motors Korea," establishing a foothold for its strategy to penetrate the local market.

The designated inaugural CEO, Lee Man-sik, began his career in the automotive industry at Daewoo Motors' Quality Assurance Department in 1992 and joined Volvo Cars Korea in the early 2000s. Starting as a service manager, he progressed to Senior Executive Vice President overseeing sales and Executive Vice President for Sales and External Communications. He is evaluated as a key figure who led the expansion of the sales network and the establishment of the service system during the period when Volvo Korea secured its place in the domestic annual sales club of 10,000 units and continued to grow.

Xpeng's decision to appoint an orthodox imported car sales expert with 30 years of experience rather than a simple mass marketer at the initial stage of entering the Korean market is interpreted as a strategic judgment to rapidly secure domestic infrastructure based on a high level of understanding of the local distribution structure and dealer ecosystem. The designated CEO will complete his resignation procedures while remaining under Volvo Korea until the end of November, and will formally join Xpeng's Korean subsidiary on December 1.

Xpeng's future business development is expected to focus on building a domestic sales and service network and market differentiation through its proprietary software technology. Currently, Xpeng Motors Korea is conducting recruitment for key core positions such as network development, marketing, and after-sales service (AS) oversight, while continuing negotiations with leading domestic dealer partners to secure showrooms and service networks. Candidate models for domestic launch include the mid-size electric SUV G6, the electric sedan P7+, and the electric minivan X9, with the company leveraging "XNGP," an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) at Level 2-3 developed in-house, as a core weapon.

As competition among Chinese electric vehicle brands intensifies, with BYD expanding domestic sales and Zeekr preparing its entry into Korea, Xpeng's success in establishing itself in the market hinges on the initial parts supply system, the construction of after-sales service (AS) infrastructure, and securing consumer brand trust. Xpeng is expected to complete the organizational setup of its Korean subsidiary within this year and begin official domestic sales as early as the first half of next year, following vehicle certification procedures by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and dealer network adjustments.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original