XPeng to make foray into robotaxi market, deliver G9 in 3rd quarter of 2022

Beijing (Gasgoo)- Chinese smart electric vehicle (EV) company XPeng Inc. plans to explore the Robotaxi service in the second half of 2022 and will start to deliver the G9, its fourth mass production model, in the third quarter of next year, its executives said at its third quarter results conference call on Tuesday.

Photo credit: XPeng

The G9, a flagship smart SUV model unveiled at the Auto Guangzhou 2021 last Friday, is its first mass-produced smart EV model designed and developed from the very beginning for both international markets and China’s market. Featuring the company’s XPILOT 4.0 advanced driver assistance system, X-EEA 3.0 electronic and electrical architecture, and new-generation XPower 3.0 powertrain and supercharging system, XPeng aims to gain more market share with this important vehicle model.

“We will continue to iterate our products fast to expand the market share in our target markets. We will accelerate the launching of products priced between RMB150,000 and RMB400,000. In the third quarter of next year, we will start to deliver the G9. The model will bring radical changes to customers’ mobility experience,” said He Xiaopeng, CEO and Chairman of XPENG. After the premiere, the G9 has got very positive feedback, the CEO added.

Photo credit: XPeng

Besides, the P5, its third production model, is so popular that its lead time is about four months. The company expects to complete current orders after the Spring Festival.

To support its product development and technology advancement, XPeng has been expanding its R&D team, whose members more than doubled to over 4,000 staff by the end of the third quarter of this year when compared with the end of last year. “We believe that in the next years, we can achieve many breakthroughs in the smart electric vehicle segment,” He Xiaopeng said confidently.

As to overseas market expansion, XPeng aims to sell vehicles in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands apart from Norway and improve its sale, delivery and service systems. Dr. Hongdi Brian Gu, Honorary Vice Chairman and President of Xpeng, pointed out the short-term goal for European markets is not the sales, but the ability development, charging network building and brand image establishment in local customers. “In the long run, maybe many years later when XPeng becomes a global brand, half of its sales will be from overseas markets. That is our long-term target,” said Brian Gu.

The Guangzhou-based company’s production is ramping up. Currently, its Zhaoqing plant produces products for 20 hours a day with two shifts. With the other two plants under construction, one in Wuhan and one in Guangzhou, the annual production capacity will be up to 600,000 vehicles with two shifts, laying a solid foundation for its growth, He Xiaopeng revealed at the conference.

X-EEA 3.0; photo credit: XPeng

Apart from all the above, XPeng’s announcement of exploration in robotaxi business is a big surprise. In a statement, the company said the progress in the NGP fuels greater confidence in its ability to explore autonomous driving enabled mobility solutions in the future, such as robotaxi technologies.

At the conference, He Xiaopeng said that his company will start the exploration from the second half of next year. XPeng wants to improve the robustness of its autonomous driving algorithms and test its hardware via the robotaxi operation in generalized scenarios. In the near future, XPeng will not be an operator of robotaxi service, but a product and technology provider. The robotaxi service will be cheaper than most rivals, according to He Xiaopeng, for it will use mass-produced vehicles.

“We believe we can bring revolutionary mobility experience and create greater business value by virtue of our software and hardware capability, and the partnership with other mobility operators,” the company said.