Nissan vs XPeng: Founders, CEOs and History
Nissan was founded in 1933 by Yoshisuke Aikawa, William Gorham, Masujiro Hashimoto and is led by Ivan Espinosa. XPeng was founded in 2014 by He Xiaopeng, Henry Xia, He Tao and is led by He Xiaopeng.
Company facts
Founders
Nissan
Yoshisuke Aikawa
Yoshisuke Aikawa founded the massive Nissan zaibatsu in the 1920s. Recognizing the absolute critical importance of the rapidly growing automotive industry, he consolidated several smaller motor companies (including DAT Motors) into Nissan Motor Co.
William Gorham
William Gorham was an American engineer who moved to Japan and played an absolutely vital role in the founding of Nissan.
Masujiro Hashimoto
Masujiro Hashimoto founded the Kwaishinsha Motor Car Works in 1911, which produced the 'DAT' car.
Rokuro Aoyama
Rokuro Aoyama was one of the three primary financial backers (alongside Den and Takeuchi) of Hashimoto's original company, providing the 'A' in the 'DAT' acronym.
XPeng
He Xiaopeng
He Xiaopeng co-founded XPeng in 2014. A highly successful software billionaire (having sold UCWeb to Alibaba), he brought massive capital and deep software expertise to the automotive industry.
Henry Xia
Henry Xia (Xia Heng) co-founded XPeng in 2014. As a former senior R&D executive at GAC Group, he provided the absolutely critical, deeply complex mechanical engineering expertise required to actually manufacture a physical car, bridging the gap between Xiaopen…
He Tao
He Tao co-founded XPeng in 2014. Also a highly experienced veteran from GAC Group, he managed the massive, incredibly complex supply chain and early physical prototyping required to bring the company's first electric SUVs to mass production without catastrophi…
CEOs and their tenures
Nissan
- Katsuji Kawamata1957–1973
President & Chairman
Transformed Nissan from a domestic Japanese producer into an international export leader.
Source - Carlos Ghosn1999–2017
Executive Officer & CEO
Rescued Nissan from imminent bankruptcy and built the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi global alliance.
Source - Hiroto Saikawa2017–2019
Chief Executive Officer
Hiroto Saikawa served as chief executive of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. from 2017 to 2019.
Source - Makoto Uchida2019–2025
Representative Executive Officer, President & CEO
Returned Nissan to profit after the pandemic, but stepped down in March 2025 after results collapsed in FY2024 and merger talks with Honda failed.
Source - Ivan Espinosa2025–present
President and Chief Executive Officer
Mexican-born former chief planning officer who succeeded Makoto Uchida as CEO on April 1, 2025. Launched the Re:Nissan cost and restructuring plan and led Nissan back to a quarterly operating profit in Q1 FY2026.
Source
XPeng
- He Xiaopeng2017–present
Chairman of the Board & Chief Executive Officer
As Co-Founder and CEO, he acts as the absolute visionary driving force, aggressively pushing XPeng's 'XNGP' autonomous driving system to directly rival Tesla's FSD in massive Chinese mega-cities.
Source - Wang Fengying2023–present
President
Recruited as President (formerly the legendary CEO of Great Wall Motor), the highly feared automotive veteran brings absolute, iron-fisted operational discipline to the previously chaotic, software-focused startup.
Source
Timeline: Nissan and XPeng side by side
1914Nissan
Creation of the DAT Car: Masujiro Hashimoto creates the DAT passenger car at Kaishinsha in Tokyo, establishing the engineering roots of Datsun and Nissan.
1933Nissan
Founding of Jidosha Seizo in Yokohama: Yoshisuke Aikawa establishes Jidosha Seizo Co., Ltd. in Yokohama, renamed Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. in 1934.
1958Nissan
Mobilgas Round Australia Trial Victory: Datsun 1000 captures class honors in the 10,000-mile endurance trial, launching Nissan's international export offensive.
1966Nissan
Merger with Prince Motor Company: Nissan absorbs Prince Motor Company, acquiring top aeronautical engineering talent, royal coachbuilding prestige, and the well-known Skyline and Gloria nameplates.
1969Nissan
Launch of Datsun 240Z and Skyline GT-R: Nissan releases the affordable inline-six Datsun 240Z sports coupe in the US and the dual-overhead-cam Skyline 2000GT-R in Japan, shattering European performanc…
1989Nissan
Infiniti Luxury Division & R32 GT-R Debut: Nissan launches Infiniti in North America with the Q45 flagship sedan and revives the R32 Skyline GT-R featuring ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive.
1999Nissan
Formation of Renault-Nissan Alliance: Facing $20B in corporate debt, Nissan forms an equity alliance with Renault S.A.; Carlos Ghosn launches the Nissan Revival Plan to rescue the company.
2010Nissan
Commercialization of 100% Electric Nissan Leaf: Nissan releases the Leaf, creating the modern mass-market electric vehicle segment and selling over 650,000 units globally.
2014XPeng
XPeng founded in Guangzhou by Henry Xia and He Tao, with early backing from He Xiaopeng.
2016Nissan
Acquisition of 34% Controlling Stake in Mitsubishi Motors: Nissan invests $2.2 billion to purchase a controlling 34% stake in Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, creating the three-way Alliance.
2017XPeng
He Xiaopeng becomes full-time Chairman and CEO.
2018XPeng
G3 Launched
XPeng launched its first production model, the G3 sport-utility vehicle, in December 2018.
2020Nissan
Unveiling of Nissan NEXT Turnaround Plan: then-CEO Makoto Uchida unveils Nissan NEXT, rationalizing global capacity by 20% and focusing core investments on e-POWER and EVs.
2020XPeng
NYSE listing under XPEV.
2021XPeng
Dual-primary listing on HKEX under 9868.
2023XPeng
Volkswagen invests about US$700 million; Wang Fengying becomes President; deal agreed to acquire DiDi's smart auto business.
2024Nissan
Historic EV Collaboration with Honda: Nissan and Honda sign a strategic partnership to co-develop electric vehicle drive platforms, standardized core components, and automotive software OS.
2024XPeng
MONA M03 Launched
XPeng launched the MONA M03, the first model of its lower-priced MONA brand, in August 2024.
2025Nissan
Honda merger talks end in February; Ivan Espinosa becomes CEO on April 1; Re:Nissan recovery plan announced in May.
2025XPeng
429,445 deliveries and first quarterly net profit in Q4.
2026Nissan
FY2025 results show ~$80.4 billion (¥12.0 trillion) revenue and a ~$3.57 billion (¥533.1 billion) net loss; Q1 FY2026 operating profit returns to ~$522 million (¥77.9 billion).
2026XPeng
MONA L03 global launch in Munich; Dogotix agrees US$900 million share sale.
Acquisitions
Nissan
- Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (34% Controlling Stake)2016$2.2B
- Mitsubishi Motors2016Undisclosed
- Prince Motor Company1966Undisclosed
XPeng
- PT Era Industri Otomotif (EIDO)2026Undisclosed
- DiDi Global smart auto business2023$744M
- DiDi Smart EV Division2023$744M
Questions about Nissan vs XPeng
Who is the CEO of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and XPeng?
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. is led by Ivan Espinosa and XPeng is led by He Xiaopeng. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. founded vs XPeng?
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. was founded in 1933 — 81 years before XPeng, which was founded in 2014. Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger XPeng.
How many employees does Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. have compared to XPeng?
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. employs approximately 120,079 people, while XPeng employs approximately 19,884. Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. has the larger workforce at 120,079 employees, compared to XPeng's 19,884. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and XPeng headquartered?
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. is headquartered in Japan and XPeng is headquartered in China. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and XPeng?
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. was founded by Yoshisuke Aikawa, William Gorham, Masujiro Hashimoto, Rokuro Aoyama. XPeng was founded by He Xiaopeng, Henry Xia, He Tao.
Which company has a longer operating history — Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. or XPeng?
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. has been operating for approximately 93 years, making it the more established of the two companies. XPeng has been in operation for around 12 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Nissan vs XPeng overview