XPeng opens beta version of valet parking assist to public through new OTA upgrade

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On June 16, XPeng Inc. (XPeng) shipped a new OTA (over-the-air) upgrade for its P7 sports sedan with the car's software advanced into the 2.6.0 version, the Guangzhou-based startup announced via its WeChat account.

Photo credit: XPeng

Through the latest OTA upgrade, XPeng pushed the beta version of the VPA (valet parking assist) memory parking feature, the industry's first mass-produced “last mile” parking function barely reliant on the renovation of parking lots, to the general public. This feature is now applicable to the P7's Premium and Wing versions equipped with the XPILOT 3.0 hardware and software systems.

According to XPeng, the VPA function currently supports a usable distance of 1,000 meters and can make a car memorize up to 100 underground parking lots. The function can assist a driver in driving his car from the point A to B based on the navigation route set by the user, enabling the car to automatically complete turning, make a detour, avoid pedestrians and other vehicles, and park itself at the spot memorized by the system.

The new OTA upgrade also brings several new functions to XPeng's NGP (Navigation Guided Pilot) autonomous driving solution, including the voice-controlled lane changing and the self-recovery. The Xmart OS 2.6.0 will further optimize the full-scenario voice assistance by adding such practical functions as searching songs/albums/radio stations and switching driving behaviors through voice demands.

The automaker noted users of the cars carrying Xmart OS 2.1.2 or above are allowed to directly update the software to the 2.6.0 version. However, those who use the operating system of lower versions should be advanced to the 2.1.2 first before they get the Xmart OS 2.6.0.