Xpeng aims to steal a march on Tesla’s FSD by updating its self-driving software earlier

Name: SCMP
Telephone: +852-2680-8888

Xpeng’s XOS 5.2.0 advanced driver assistance system is scheduled for release through its over-the-air software update on July 30

Reading Time:2 minutes

Why you can trust SCMP

Drivers using Xpeng’s self-driving software are required by law to place their hands on the steering wheel to override the system during emergencies. Photo: Weibo

Daniel Renin Shanghai

Published: 5:15pm, 25 Jul 2024Updated: 5:22pm, 25 Jul 2024

Xpeng plans to unveil an update to its autonomous driving software next week, as the Guangzhou-based electric vehicle builder and partner of Volkswagen tries to steal a march on Tesla before the US carmaker’s release of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software in mainland China.

Xpeng’s XOS 5.2.0 advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) is scheduled for release through its over-the-air software update on July 30, the carmaker said. Senior executives and designers will shed light on how the update can make Xpeng’s smart vehicles even more intelligent, capable of recognising traffic lights, turning, changing lanes and overtaking other vehicles.

The system, also dubbed the X NGP (Xpeng navigation guided pilot), is Xpeng’s answer to Tesla’s FSD software, which will not be tested in China until the end of 2024. It is also offered in mainland China for free, while Tesla charges US$8,000 to install FSD, on top of a US$99 monthly subscription.

FSD has been improved from the old version in terms of self-driving capability, but the X NGP would take a different approach in achieving autonomy, Xpeng’s co-founder and chief executive He Xiaopeng said on the carmaker’s Weibo account.

An Xpeng showroom in Beijing. Photo: AFP

Xpeng, founded a decade ago in southern China, is recognised as China’s leader in self-driving technology, with its X NGP under tests in more than 300 cities across the nation. Xpeng, along with Beijing-headquartered Li Auto and Shanghai-based Nio, are viewed as China’s best responses to Tesla as their vehicles feature autonomous driving systems, digital cockpits and high-performance batteries.

Cars fitted with the software are also capable of self-navigation on highways. But human intervention is still required under many circumstances.