Xpeng begins mass production of driverless robotaxis to challenge Tesla
Xpeng, a Chinese manufacturer of electric vehicles, has commenced large-scale production of its driverless robotaxis, utilizing proprietary chips to compete with Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology. Based in Guangzhou, the firm revealed that its robotaxis will incorporate Level 4 (L4) autonomous driving features, powered by four of its own Turing AI chips. As defined by SAE International, L4 enables vehicles to operate in specific areas without human assistance. Xpeng intends to launch pilot operations for its robotaxis in the latter half of this year to assess technical feasibility, user acceptance, and the overall business strategy, with a goal of achieving fully autonomous service without an on-site safety officer by early 2027. Established in 2014, Xpeng has been recognized as a competitor to Tesla in mainland China, focusing on intelligent electric vehicles to rival the Model 3 and Model Y.
Key facts
- Xpeng has begun mass production of driverless robotaxis using its own chips.
- The robotaxis will have Level 4 (L4) self-driving capabilities.
- They are powered by four self-developed Turing AI chips.
- L4 allows navigation without human intervention, per SAE International.
- Pilot robotaxi operations are planned for the second half of this year.
- Full autonomous operations without a safety officer are targeted by early 2027.
- Xpeng is based in Guangzhou, China.
- Founded in 2014, Xpeng has long been a Tesla challenger in mainland China.
Entities
Institutions
- Xpeng
- Tesla
- SAE International
Locations
- Guangzhou
- China
- mainland China