Prabin Gautam has struggled to get support for the issues he's experienced with his 18-month-old XPeng. (ABC News: Jonathon Kendall)<\/p>\n
A Chinese EV company says it will pay customers of its former Australian distributor who are owed hundreds of thousands of dollars.<\/p>\n
XPeng made the statement after the dismissal of a Federal Court case between it and Australian company TrueEV.<\/p>\n
Customers have been told to contact XPeng Australia to get access to payments, reimbursements and parts, but creditors are still in the dark.<\/p>\n
Prabin Gautam was travelling at 85 kilometres per hour on the Princes Freeway between Melbourne and Geelong when his electric vehicle sounded an alert and suddenly slowed to walking pace.<\/p>\n
"I thought, 'What's going on?'" Mr Gautam said.<\/p>\n
For about seven minutes he was stuck in his XPeng G6 on the freeway, unable to get out as traffic streamed past.<\/p>\n
"I was really freaked out," Mr Gautum said.<\/p>\n
"I could not open the window. I could not open the door. I could not do anything and everyone is beeping at me.<\/p>\n
After a few minutes he was able to slowly drive his car onto the side of the road.<\/p>\n
"My hands were shaking and there were still a lot of errors coming through," Mr Gautam said.<\/p>\n
When Mr Gautum eventually got hold of the company that sold him his XPeng, the news was not good.<\/p>\n
Prabin Gautam only drives short distances after a frightening experience in it on a Victorian freeway. (ABC News: Jonathon Kendall)<\/p>\n
"They knew about it in other cars by the sound of it," he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Gautam bought the car in February 2025 for $64,000 from XPeng Port Melbourne, which was operated by TrueEV.<\/p>\n