XPeng heads into a pivotal week with three intertwined storylines: expectations for booming third‑quarter earnings, a viral humanoid robot that has people arguing whether it’s even real, and fresh headlines that China has started trial production of flying cars with XPeng’s AeroHT subsidiary already sitting on thousands of pre‑orders. [1]
At the same time, XPeng stock has more than doubled in 2025 and climbed roughly 15% over the past week, even after a pullback on Friday — putting XPEV firmly on the radar of growth and AI‑themed investors ahead of Monday’s results. [2]
Today’s XPeng headlines (November 16, 2025)
Here’s what moved the XPeng story specifically today, 16 November 2025:
- Earnings preview turns bullish:
GuruFocus reports that XPeng is expected to deliver over 100% year‑over‑year revenue growth in Q3 and roughly 70% improvement in profit versus last year, with the stock already up more than 123% year‑to‑date. [3] - Street sees shrinking losses, triple‑digit growth:
A detailed TipRanks earnings preview highlights that Wall Street expects Q3 EPS around ‑$0.05, an improvement from ‑$0.27 a year ago, alongside strong revenue growth and momentum from XPeng’s newer models and in‑house “Turing” AI chip. [4] - XPeng named in ‘Earnings Week Ahead’ line‑ups:
XPeng appears on Seeking Alpha’s list of key companies reporting in the coming week, putting it in the same macro conversation as Nvidia, BHP, and other global bellwethers. [5] - Options traders pile into XPEV calls:
MarketBeat notes that traders bought about 88,000 call options on XPeng on Friday — roughly 139% above its average daily call volume — signalling unusually heavy bullish options activity ahead of Monday’s report. [6] - Humanoid robot “IRON” goes viral – and onto the mall floor:
KidsNews and other outlets cover XPeng’s “Next‑Gen Iron” humanoid robot, which looks so lifelike that the company literally cut open its leg on stage to prove it wasn’t a person in a suit. The robot features 82 degrees of freedom, bionic “muscles,” and three custom AI chips delivering up to 3,000 TOPS of compute, with CEO He Xiaopeng targeting mass production by the end of 2026. [7]
Fresh wire photos today also show IRON on public display at Shenzhen’s UpperHills Mall, underscoring how XPeng wants ordinary shoppers to see humanoid robots up close. [8] - China starts trial production of flying cars; XPeng AeroHT has 5,000 orders:
A new report cites Chinese state media saying trial production of flying cars has begun at a 120,000 m² factory with capacity for up to 10,000 units, and notes that XPeng’s AeroHT subsidiary already has 5,000 orders from BRICS countries, the UAE and Russia. The vehicle combines a six‑wheel “mother ship” ground car with a detachable eVTOL aircraft and aims for exports starting 2026. [9] - Global brand visibility in the Middle East:
A Xinhua roundup from the e‑MotorShow Middle East in Beirut says Chinese EVs — including XPeng — are drawing strong interest from local buyers looking for connected, affordable electric cars, with five Chinese brands and around 50 models on display. [10]
Taken together, today’s news paints XPeng not just as another Chinese EV manufacturer, but as a company trying to sit at the intersection of electric vehicles, AI, humanoid robotics, and next‑generation air mobility.
Earnings countdown: What to expect from XPeng’s Q3 2025
XPeng will report third‑quarter 2025 results before U.S. markets open on Monday, November 17, with an earnings call scheduled for 8:00 a.m. ET, according to the company’s earlier investor relations announcement. [11]
Street forecasts
Analyst expectations compiled by TipRanks suggest: [12]
- Revenue: Forecast to more than double year‑on‑year, reflecting continued delivery growth and higher average selling prices.
- EPS: Consensus is for around ‑$0.05 per ADS, a big improvement from ‑$0.27 in the same quarter last year.
- Guidance watch: For the following quarter, XPeng has previously guided to 113,000–118,000 vehicle deliveries and RMB 19.6–21.0 billion in revenue — investors will watch whether management reiterates, upgrades or walks back those numbers.
GuruFocus similarly frames the report as a potential “impressive earnings” print, emphasising expectations of >100% YoY revenue growth, a roughly 70% profit improvement, and a stock that has run more than 120% in 2025 heading into the event. [13]
Recent financial momentum
The upbeat expectations don’t come out of nowhere:
- In Q2 2025, XPeng delivered 103,181 vehicles, up 242% year‑on‑year, with revenue of about RMB 18.27 billion and a 17.3% gross margin. Free cash flow exceeded RMB 2 billion, and cash on hand was above RMB 47.5 billion, giving the company decent financial firepower even as it remains loss‑making. [14]
- For October 2025, XPeng reported a record 42,013 deliveries, up 76% YoY, bringing year‑to‑date deliveries to 355,209, a staggering 190% jump versus the same period last year. October was also the second consecutive month above 40,000 deliveries. [15]
That operational ramp is key to the earnings narrative: XPeng is still unprofitable, but each quarter of strong volume and expanding gross margin strengthens the case that it can eventually scale into sustained profitability.
Physical AI: XPeng’s Iron humanoid robot moves from stage to street
If you only know XPeng as a carmaker, today’s global coverage of its Iron humanoid robot is a wake‑up call.
At XPENG AI Day on November 5, the company unveiled the “Next‑Gen Iron” robot — part of a broader “Physical AI” strategy that also includes robotaxis, a new VLA 2.0 AI model, and flying systems from its AeroHT unit. [16]
Footage from the event showed Iron striding onto the stage with a surprisingly natural “catwalk” gait and fluid hip movement. The clip went viral, and social media users quickly accused XPeng of putting a human actor in a robot suit. [17]
Rather than ignore the skepticism, XPeng leaned into it:
- On stage, staff cut open the robot’s left leg to reveal wiring and mechanical components, trying to prove there was no flesh underneath. [18]
- CEO He Xiaopeng later posted an unedited video on Weibo to further show that Iron’s movements were machine‑driven rather than motion‑capture trickery. [19]
From the technical side, the Iron robot as described publicly features: [20]
- 82 degrees of freedom, enabling complex joint movement.
- A “humanoid spine,” bionic muscles and a fully covered flexible “skin” that can be customised into different body types.
- Three in‑house Turing AI chips offering up to 3,000 TOPS of compute.
- A roadmap to mass production by the end of 2026, plus plans to open its software development kit (SDK) to third‑party developers.
Today’s new images from Shenzhen’s UpperHills Mall — where Iron is now standing on public display — send a symbolic message: XPeng wants humanoid robots to move from research labs into everyday environments such as retail and customer‑facing roles. [21]
For investors, the robot is both a technology showcase and part of XPeng’s branding battle with Tesla, whose Optimus robot is on a similar path. Several recent analyses have framed XPeng as a “dark horse” in EVs and robotics, arguing that its deep AI stack, custom chips and physical AI roadmap could one day diversify its revenue beyond cars alone. [22]
Flying cars: XPeng AeroHT’s 5,000‑unit order book
The other major futuristic headline today: China has begun trial production of flying cars, and XPeng’s AeroHT unit appears to be at the centre of it. [23]
According to a report summarising Chinese state media coverage:
- Trial production is underway in a large‑scale plant of about 120,000 square metres, with capacity for up to 10,000 units.
- XPeng AeroHT has already secured 5,000 orders for its flying car from BRICS countries, the UAE and Russia.
- The company plans to mass‑produce and begin exports by 2026.
- The vehicle consists of a six‑wheel “mother ship” ground car with a detachable eVTOL aircraft mounted on top.
- The flying module is expected to reach speeds of around 130 km/h, while the combined vehicle is designed to be road‑legal with a standard driver’s licence and fit in normal parking spaces. [24]
This sits on top of AeroHT’s earlier concept vehicles and the flying systems presented at XPENG AI Day. While flying cars are still years away from mainstream adoption — and face heavy regulatory, safety and infrastructure hurdles — a 5,000‑unit order book and a real production facility move the story from concept to early commercialisation.
For XPeng, AeroHT could become:
- A halo project that reinforces its image as a cutting‑edge mobility innovator, and
- A long‑term optionality play that might open new revenue streams in air mobility if regulations and demand evolve favourably.
Global reach: From China to Europe, the Middle East and beyond
Beyond robots and flying cars, XPeng is quietly building a wider geographic footprint.
- The company’s own October delivery update shows 355,209 smart EVs delivered year‑to‑date, with the month marking its second straight 40k+ month and rapid growth in adoption of its XNGP intelligent driving system, which reached an 86% monthly active user penetration rate in urban driving. [25]
- XPeng also highlighted new market entries in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Cambodia, Morocco, Tunisia and Qatar, underlining its ambitions outside China and Europe’s core markets. [26]
Today’s Xinhua‑carried story from Beirut adds another proof point: at the e‑MotorShow Middle East, Chinese EVs — including XPeng — are reportedly attracting considerable interest as Lebanese buyers look for tech‑heavy yet relatively affordable alternatives to Western brands. [27]
Taken together, XPeng is slowly transforming from a China‑centric EV maker into a global smart‑mobility brand, even if the bulk of its sales still come from its home market.
How the market is pricing XPeng right now
With markets closed for the weekend, the most recent price data show:
- XPEV closed on Friday around $25 per ADS on the NYSE, down about 5% on the day but still up roughly 15% over the past week and more than 110% year‑to‑date, depending on the source and cut‑off date. [28]
Options and analyst sentiment
Today’s MarketBeat note on options activity shows just how closely traders are watching Monday’s report:
- Around 88,283 call options were purchased on XPeng on Friday, compared with an average daily call volume of about 36,900, indicating a sharp spike in bullish speculations. [29]
On the analyst side:
- MarketBeat’s compilation lists XPeng with an overall “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target around $24–27, with some major banks — including Bank of America, Citigroup and Morgan Stanley — issuing positive or overweight calls, while BNP Paribas recently initiated with a more cautious “Hold”. [30]
- TipRanks similarly shows a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of about $28.27, implying mid‑teens upside from current levels if the Street’s thesis plays out. [31]
Valuation and risk profile
GuruFocus highlights XPeng’s elevated valuation multiples and risk metrics: [32]
- A price‑to‑sales ratio around 2.8x and price‑to‑book near 5.6x, both close to historical highs for the stock.
- A forward P/E above 100, reflecting expectations that today’s losses will shrink sharply but are not yet gone.
- Negative operating and net margins, albeit improving, and an Altman Z‑Score that still sits in a zone associated with higher financial risk.
- A high beta (≈2–2.5), meaning the stock tends to move more than the broader market — in both directions.
In simple terms, XPeng is priced as a high‑growth, high‑volatility AI‑and‑EV story. The company has real scale, rising margins and a broad technology pipeline — but investors are paying up for that growth and will likely punish any stumble on Monday’s numbers or guidance.
(Nothing in this article is financial advice. Always do your own research and consider speaking with a licensed financial advisor before making investment decisions.)
What to watch on XPeng’s Q3 call tomorrow
For traders and long‑term investors alike, a few focal points stand out for Monday, November 17:
- Delivery and revenue beat (or miss):
XPeng has set a high bar with recent triple‑digit growth. Even a small revenue miss versus the market’s “whisper numbers” could trigger a sharp reaction given the stock’s run‑up. - Gross margin trajectory:
Q2’s 17.3% gross margin was a bright spot. Investors will want to see whether XPeng can hold or expand that margin in the face of intense EV price competition in China. [33] - Path to profitability:
With losses shrinking but still present, commentary around operating leverage, R&D and sales spending — especially for AI, robotaxis and robots — will be key. - Commercial roadmap for Physical AI:
Expect questions about how and when XPeng plans to monetise Iron, robotaxis, and AeroHT flying cars beyond PR value: timelines, business models, and regulatory hurdles. - International expansion strategy:
Management’s colour on Europe, the Middle East and new markets such as North Africa and Southeast Asia will help investors understand how much of XPeng’s future growth could come from outside China. [34]
As of November 16, 2025, XPeng sits at a fascinating crossroads: a fast‑growing EV manufacturer about to report critical numbers, an AI and robotics player suddenly dominating the viral tech conversation, and an early entrant in the still‑sci‑fi world of flying cars. How well Monday’s earnings call ties those threads into a coherent, profitable story will likely dictate the next major move for XPEV stock.
References
1. www.gurufocus.com, 2. www.gurufocus.com, 3. www.gurufocus.com, 4. www.tipranks.com, 5. seekingalpha.com, 6. www.marketbeat.com, 7. www.kidsnews.com.au, 8. www.newscom.com, 9. watcher.guru, 10. www.china.org.cn, 11. stockanalysis.com, 12. www.tipranks.com, 13. www.gurufocus.com, 14. www.tipranks.com, 15. www.stocktitan.net, 16. www.xpeng.com, 17. www.kidsnews.com.au, 18. www.kidsnews.com.au, 19. www.kidsnews.com.au, 20. www.kidsnews.com.au, 21. www.newscom.com, 22. stockanalysis.com, 23. watcher.guru, 24. watcher.guru, 25. www.stocktitan.net, 26. www.stocktitan.net, 27. www.china.org.cn, 28. www.marketbeat.com, 29. www.marketbeat.com, 30. www.marketbeat.com, 31. www.tipranks.com, 32. www.gurufocus.com, 33. www.globenewswire.com, 34. www.stocktitan.net
