Gasgoo Munich- On March 5, XPENG Chairman He Xiaopeng posted that this year marks a watershed moment for autonomous driving R&D.
Image source: Weibo screenshot
He noted the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) released a draft of the "Automated Driving System (ADS) Global Technical Regulation" in Geneva in February 2026. The U.S. also recently eased its L4 access rules significantly. Industry forecasts suggest global standards signal a shift from regional pilots to a global industry. In proposals to the National People's Congress, XPENG called for accelerating L4 autonomous driving regulations.
He explained the second-generation VLA is a self-developed foundation model for the physical world. Paired with XPENG's in-house Turing chip, it simplifies the traditional VLA model into a "V-A" architecture. This marks a leap from "rules"-based coding to AI training AI. It effectively reaches the early stages of L4 autonomy. The goal is to create smart driving accessible to all. This lowers the tech barrier, ensuring everyone feels confident using it.
He cited a Morgan Stanley report noting XPENG's second-generation VLA rollout positions it to compete with Tesla globally. This development could reshape the global intelligent vehicle industry.
During this year's "Two Sessions," XPENG Chairman He Xiaopeng submitted three proposals. They focused on autonomous driving, humanoid robots, and flying cars.
On autonomous driving, He recommended building on L2 safety supervision to push policy from L2 to L4. This simplifies the intermediate L3 stage. He called for clarifying registration and traffic rules for L4 vehicles. This supports compliant nationwide operations. He also proposed traffic law compatibility assessments and classification norms for human-machine driving. Additionally, he proposed consumer-facing L4 pilot rights in specific low-risk scenarios. These would be in mature cities to create replicable experiences. These measures aim to transform China's L2 advantage into a global L4 edge. This seizes the strategic initiative in developing intelligent connected vehicles.
