Less than a year ago, in July 2024, the founder and CEO of China’s carmaker XPeng He Xiaopeng revealed the company would launch “a highly competitive Robotaxi in 2026,” plans seem to have changed.
”Regarding Robotaxi, Tesla aims to handle everything from the vehicle to operations, which differs from our approach,” He Xiaopeng wrote on LinkedIn last July before detailing the business model.
“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,” the brand’s chief added.
Twelve hours after hosting its first-ever global brand event where it officially launched the refreshed X9 MPV, the company hosted a media roundtable in Hong Kong on early Wednesday where EV participated. [Disclosure: XPeng flew EV to attend the event.]
Asking a question from EV on updates of the robotaxi development, He Xiaopeng refrained from detailing a timeline while “there are huge challenges” ahead.
“I think that if we’re looking at robotaxi…if we want to do it well, there are many different capabilities that would come together,” the chief executive stated. “We have [the] technology, we have customers’ recognition, society’s recognition, regulations as well as safety all around” — before noting that “globally speaking, this [robotaxi] is a good vision.”
“But to be honest, in a short period of time to be able to resolve all these aspects and implement them, there are huge challenges. This is point one,” He Xiaopeng said hinting that the 2026 target is not on the table anymore as if that was the case, the carmaker would be already testing its robotaxi vehicles.
“Point two, for XPeng what we are doing is a gradual work that we are looking at,” XPeng’s chief added. “In 2025, we will first start with the software L3 and followed by hardware L3 capabilities in 2026, and as well as L4 part of that.”
Despite the concerns showed, He Xiaopeng said the company hopes “that gradually going forward, all the different cars will be able to become a humanoid robotaxi and a highly advanced L3 or L4.” XPeng’s CEO added, “That’s what we hope.”
The company’s founder recognised the process is “arduous” with a timeline of “at least 10 years.”
“But I think this is going to be an arduous process, difficult process, at least 10 years. And I think that for XPeng we look at when the scaled implantation is going to happen,” he noted. “So scalability is very important.”
“I think that the last time I said to 2026, 2027…We will see some trend, but it’s hard to see that it’s going to become a very sizable and scalable thing at this stage or in the near future.
He Xiaopeng sees the “society’s acceptance” and “the regulation and policies and the legal system” as the biggest hurdle for the deployment of autonomous vehicles.
“Then in this context, robotaxi, is it going to be tools or is it going to be tools plus service or something different? I think the most important thing doesn’t even come from technology,” he stated.
“I think it’s more about the society’s acceptance as well as the regulation and policies and the legal system, I think that maybe if we come back to this question, in a few years we need to look at how society’s demand is going to drive this rather than focusing on technology,” He Xiaopeng said.
Answering to the part of the question where He Xiaopeng was asked about the business model with the robotaxis, He Xiaopeng said, “I think that in your question, both sides would be possible. But today, I think that we don’t yet need to think so much about this.”
Tesla unveiled last October its robotaxi — also known as Cybercab — along the Robovan. Paid rides will begin in Austin, Texas, in June — as recently confirmed by the company’s CEO Elon Musk.
Last year, XPeng’s chief said the company “will not get involved in operations” hinting that the company will work with partners and with the data they have been collecting.
