Xpeng received an important approval for Robotaxi tests!

Xpeng Receives Important Approval for Robotaxi Tests!

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Xpeng (XPEV) has taken a significant step towards its robotaxi goals with the approval of autonomous driving tests by Chinese authorities.

Permission for Level 3 Autonomous Vehicle Tests

According to a local media outlet, Yicai, Xpeng has been granted permission to conduct test operations for Level 3 autonomous vehicles in the city of Guangzhou. This development follows the conditional approvals granted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China (MIIT) to Changan Automobile and BAIC's Arcfox brand in Chongqing and Beijing.

Xpeng’s Robotaxi and Humanoid Robot Goals

Xpeng's CEO and co-founder He Xiaopeng announced during the company's third-quarter earnings call that they aim to launch three new Robotaxi models by 2026. This announcement reflects Xpeng's desire to enhance its competitiveness in the autonomous driving market.

In addition, Xpeng has revealed plans to make its “VLA [Vision-Language-Action autonomous driving system] 2.0” model open source to global commercial partners. Through this system, the company aims to make autonomous technology accessible to a broader audience.

Competitive Market Environment

In the increasingly competitive autonomous vehicle market, it is known that Baidu's (BIDU) Apollo Go service recently exceeded 250,000 Robotaxi rides per week. Baidu has also recorded 140 million driverless miles driven. This situation continues to be a significant factor in Xpeng's efforts to increase its market share.

Meanwhile, Chinese robotaxi company WeRide (WRD) has commenced plans to provide robotaxi services in collaboration with Uber Technologies (UBER) in key tourism areas in Dubai, UAE.