What happened
In October 2026 an XPeng owner in Cairo filled in the form on this site. The car was bought new from Motor One, an authorized retailer of Raya Auto — the exclusive XPeng importer in Egypt and a Raya Holding company. The vehicle was not visible in the app at all. The client contacted Raya Auto and was told: provide a Chinese number, otherwise the app activation cannot be completed.
That answer is not a mistake of one consultant. It defines which case the car belongs to.
Two XPeng apps — and only one needs a Chinese number
- XPENG (international). Used for cars supplied officially to Egypt. The dealer binds the 17-character VIN to the owner's e-mail in its own portal; nothing else is required, and the car appears in the app immediately. No Chinese number is involved. If the e-mail was typed with one wrong letter, the car never appears — this is the most common reason for such complaints in dealer forums.
- 小鹏汽车 (Chinese). Used by vehicles imported from the Chinese market. Registration goes by phone number plus SMS code, and the number must be Chinese (+86). International numbers do not receive these codes.
How to tell which case you have, in three checks
- Open the app. English interface asking for an e-mail or an ordinary phone — international version.
- Chinese interface, or a field asking for an 11-digit number starting with 1 and an SMS code — 小鹏汽车.
- The dealer asks you for a Chinese number — the car is on the Chinese platform. Dealers do not ask this for cars they can bind themselves.
Still unclear? Send the VIN on WhatsApp and we will check the platform before you pay anything.
What the Chinese number costs in Egypt
- 1 500 E£ — issuance of the Chinese +86 number, one time
- 800 E£/year — yearly service
- 5 500 E£ — five years at once (1 500 + 800 × 5)
Issuance takes 30 minutes to 2 hours. The number is registered to the owner, on passport data — first name, last name in Latin letters and the passport number are enough, no photos. The SMS codes from the XPeng app arrive in a separate app (eSender) with its own login and password: nothing is installed in the car, no SIM card, the phone stays as it is. Payment: the method is agreed individually on WhatsApp — the options depend on your country, and Egyptian cards are not accepted yet.
What this does not solve
A Chinese number restores access to the account and to the app registration. It does not transfer the vehicle ownership record inside the Chinese system: that procedure is run by the Chinese side (exporter, dealer or the brand's support service) and requires Chinese documents. We say this before payment instead of after.
Frequently asked questions
- The dealer told me to bring a Chinese number — is that normal? Yes, for cars on the Chinese platform. Without a +86 number the vehicle account cannot be activated.
- Can I buy the number myself? The number requires a real-name registration with the Chinese operator. We do it remotely; you receive the SMS in the eSender app, under your own login.
- What if my car is an official Egyptian one? Then you do not need us: ask the dealer to check the e-mail in the portal. If they cannot, we will tell you honestly instead of selling a number.