Xpeng aims to launch autonomous taxi in 2026
Recently, He Xiaopeng, the CEO of Xpeng, wrote in a LinkedIn post about the Robotaxi plans as well as his vision of self-driving cars.”Regarding Robotaxi, Tesla aims to handle everything from the vehicle to operations, which differs from our approach. XPENG’s Robotaxi will follow a set pace and launch a highly competitive Robotaxi in 2026. Moreover, we will not get involved in operations, but will work with our beloved partners to drive this revolution.”
This is probably referring primarily to ride-hailing provider Didi, with whom Xpeng has already jointly developed the M03 saloon. There are also interesting innovations for this model: Leaked details of the M03 state that the top-of-the-range Max model will not be equipped with lidar, but will use a purely visual system for the ‘XNGP capability’ of intelligent driving, still utilising two Nvidia Orin X chips with 508 TOPS computing power. It is also assumed that the upcoming Xpeng P7+ will also do without lidar.
According to CarNewsChina, this shows the likely path that Xpeng will take for its robotaxi product, which is scheduled for market launch in 2026. As the company is apparently dispensing with lidar, it can be assumed that the robotaxi will also pursue a purely visual approach, which should help to reduce costs.
Xpeng CEO He Xiaopeng points out that the industry is making rapid progress and that a turning point will be reached in around two years’ time, at which point rapid acceptance and commercialisation will take place. Before this can happen, however, issues relating to technical possibilities, laws and regulations and business processes still need to be clarified.
But even if Xpeng’s robotaxis come onto the market in two years’ time, the market will probably not be a sure-fire success at first. Self-driving taxis will not be a significant business for at least five years, said Xpeng Vice Chairman and Co-President Brian Gu at the Beijing Auto Show in April. While robotaxis will change mobility if they catch on, “to have a real, full-fledged commercial operation. I think it’s more than 5 years away,” Gu said. “Right now it’s not something that we are considering when we are launching and planning the sales,” he added.
Xpeng had previously received approval from the Chinese authorities to test robotaxis on the streets of Guangzhou in 2022. The SUV Xpeng G9 was to be used for this.
0 Comments