Xpeng starts mass production of first robotaxi in Guangzhou

Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng has commenced mass production of its first robotaxi at its headquarters in Guangzhou, marking a significant step in its autonomous driving strategy. The company announced the milestone on Monday, stating it is the first automaker in China to achieve mass production of a robotaxi developed entirely with in-house technology.

The vehicle is built on Xpeng’s GX platform and is engineered to support Level 4 autonomous driving, a standard where the vehicle can operate without human intervention in designated areas. It is powered by four of Xpeng’s self-developed Turing AI chips, delivering a combined 3,000 TOPS of computing power. The company employs a camera-based “pure vision” autonomous system, known as VLA 2.0, which does not use LiDAR sensors or high-definition maps. Xpeng claims this approach reduces costs and system latency.

The robotaxi is configured specifically for ride-hailing, featuring a passenger-focused cabin with privacy glass, specialized seating, and entertainment screens. Xpeng plans to produce hundreds to thousands of these vehicles over the next 12 to 18 months. The company aims to begin pilot operations with safety drivers in...