Chinese carmaker XPeng is preparing to disclose new details of its robotaxi project at its annual AI and Tech Day in the first half of November, an internal source familiar with the matter told EV.
The event will also include updates on the company’s flying-car division and the development of its humanoid robot.
Chief Executive He Xiaopeng said in September that XPeng plans to launch a robotaxi service in China in 2026 alongside its first mass-produced Level-4 autonomous vehicles.
The company intends to carry out its own trials after receiving regulatory approval and may later explore commercialization through partners if internal testing is unsuccessful.
XPeng has been developing what it calls a “physical AI” framework that integrates chips, software, hardware and data systems to support projects such as its ‘AI-driven’ vehicles, flying cars, humanoid robots and robotaxis.
The company’s research and development spending on AI exceeds 5 billion yuan ($700 million) a year.
Exactly a year ago, XPeng announced its in-house-developed Turing AI chip, described at the time as a 40-core processor capable of supporting models with up to 30 billion parameters.
The chip, now integrated into the company’s latest vehicles, replaced processors previously supplied by Nvidia.
He first mentioned plans for a robotaxi service in July 2024, saying on LinkedIn that the company would “launch a highly competitive robotaxi in 2026” and would not directly operate the service, preferring to collaborate with partners using its accumulated driving data.
It remains unclear whether that approach will be confirmed at next month’s event.
Speaking in April at a company event in Hong Kong, He said the biggest challenges to autonomous-vehicle deployment were “society’s acceptance” and “the regulation, policies and legal system.”
The carmaker is on track to reach its target of doubling the number of markets where it is available.
After closing 2024 selling EVs in 30 markets across the globe, XPeng has expanded to over 20 markets in the first ten months of this year.
As of September 30, the company had delivered 313,000 vehicles globally this year, reaching about 90% of its 380,000-unit target.
Last month, the company reached a new record in deliveries, surpassing 40,000 units in a single month for the first time since its inception 11 years ago.
Uber is planning to invest in the Hong Kong listings of the Chinese autonomous driving firms Pony AI Inc. and WeRide, as reported earlier this Tuesday by Bloomberg citing people familiar with the matter.
Tesla revealed its purpose-built robotaxi prototypes, the Cybercab and Robovan, last year and plans to start production of the Cybercab in 2026.
Recent drone footage showed crash-test development underway at its GigaTexas plant.
