HONG KONG -- Xpeng Motors, one of China's most high-profile electric vehicle startups, has secured $500 million in its latest funding round, giving it further firepower as rivals join an intensifying hunt for capital to ensure their survival. The new funds came from investors including Aspex, Coatue, Hillhouse and Sequoia Capital China, seven months after Xpeng raised $400 million from Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi and Xpeng founder He Xiaopeng, among others.