XPeng stock jumps as Chinese Tesla rival reportedly gets approval for Hong Kong IPO

An Xpeng P7 car at an exhibition in Shanghai in April 2021.

Hector Retamal/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

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Chinese electric-car maker Xpeng has won approval for a Hong Kong initial public offering that could raise up to $2 billion, according to multiple reports.

The Tesla TSLA, +0.46% rival, which is already listed on the New York Stock Exchange and has a market value of more than $30 billion, has been given the green light by Hong Kong regulators, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a person familiar with the situation.

China is seen as a key market for electric vehicles, and new entrants such as Xpeng and NIO NIO, -5.18% have emerged in recent years as rivals to Elon Musk’s Tesla. Earlier this year, China raced past Europe to reclaim its spot as the world’s largest market for electric vehicles, according to analyst research.

Xpeng XPEV, -8.34% American depositary receipts (ADRs) jumped more than 5% in U.S. premarket trading, following the reports on Wednesday.

The dual primary listing — both in the U.S. and Hong Kong — will enable the Chinese EV maker to be part of the “Stock Connect” program, which allows investors in mainland China to buy shares — a key aim of the move, the person said.

The structure differs from that of other Chinese companies listed in the U.S., including Alibaba BABA, +0.12% and JD.com JD, +0.94%, who have secondary listings in Hong Kong.

Xpeng surged on its U.S. trading debut in August 2020, after raising $1.7 billion from its IPO. It sold another $2.5 billion of U.S. stock in December. The stock has climbed 166% since the IPO.

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Callum Keown

Callum Keown is a Barron's Group reporter for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. He writes for MarketWatch, Barron’s, Penta and Financial News. Follow him on Twitter: @CallumKeown1.