XPeng Motors kept it relatively short but sweet in its 20-minute presentation at the 2024 Beijing International Auto Show earlier today. But there's a lot to be excited about following some updates from XPeng founder, chairman, and CEO He Xiaopeng. We will launch a “new type” of EV as a new sub-brand. Here's the full summary:
Today's presentation in front of a crowd in Beijing (which you can watch in full below) began by simply summarizing much of the same news we reported on in 2024, some of which It goes back to the Chinese automaker's annual tech day, which will be held in October 2023.
XPeng CEO He Xiaopeng spoke in front of the X9 multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), which is a growing segment of luxury minivans in China. Mr. Xiaopeng highlighted many of the early successes of XPeng's first his MPV model. This model is versatile in that it can be configured to seat 7 or 4 and has space to transport 5 bikes.
As a popular BEV model among Chinese celebrities and athletes, XPeng's CEO uses the X9 as a vessel to introduce advanced features the company has been working on, such as expanding its XNGP ADAS technology, including new AI valet and bodyguard features. Some of the technologies were highlighted. The automaker's founder and chairman spoke about these technologies and what they mean for his EV future:
We are proud to demonstrate XPeng's ability to innovate, and in doing so, pave the way for greater inclusivity and equality in smart mobility. His next decade will be the Golden Decade of smart cars. At the core of smart vehicle advancements is how to operationalize automated software deployment, which is emerging as a new industry standard. Looking ahead, XPeng plans to roll out road tests of AI-powered features integrated into his XPeng models.
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XPeng X9 MPV / Source: XPeng Motors -
Space for 5 full-size bicycles -
Learn more about XPlanner with Neural Networks -
XPeng CEO He Xiaopeng explains automaker's new ADAS strategy with 2K Pure Vision Sensor
To support XNGP and other ADAS features, XPeng used the Beijing Auto Show to share its plans to introduce what it calls “the industry's first mass-produced 2K pure visual neural network large model” into vehicles. . This news confirms previous rumors that XPeng is abandoning LiDAR sensors in favor of pure vision, similar to Tesla FSD.
These perception and planning/control model upgrades utilize over 2 million high-resolution grids to reconstruct the world around the XPeng BEV, allowing it to quickly and effectively identify any objects or obstacles in its surroundings. I'll make it. This new technology is further supported by a neural network-based planning model that can learn, think, and act just like the human mind.
According to a press conference in Beijing, such neural technology will allow XPeng to offer more human-like, self-learning vehicles that rely heavily on AI in the future. This includes the automaker's latest operating system, XOS 5.1.0, which leverages AI to debut on the X9 before rolling out to other eligible XPeng EVs on May 20, 2024. It provides some new features.
These updates include the aforementioned AI Valet Driver, upgraded surround reality (SR) recognition capabilities, and enhancements and learning capabilities for the automaker's in-vehicle AI assistant. We encourage you to watch the video below to see this technology in action.
XPeng's new sub-brand is called MONA
Last month, we shared news that XPeng was planning a new EV sub-brand with a focus on artificial intelligence, as mentioned above. At the recent China Electric Vehicle 100 Summit, XPeng Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng announced that the automaker's “AI-enabled smart driving” technology will be used in 2024 for research and development and 4,000 new jobs. It pledged to invest RMB 3.5 billion (approximately $492 million).
Xiaopeng also said that the next decade of EV will be the era of intelligence and smart driving technology. Therefore, this new brand aims to make AI-centric technology affordable to everyone, targeting a suggested retail price of RMB 100,000 to 150,000 ($14,000 to $21,000). Development was progressing.
At the time, we reported that the unnamed sub-brand would soon be launched in China, as XPeng promised to “develop a new breed of AI-powered smart EVs for young customers around the world.” XPeng confirmed today in Beijing that the new sub-brand is called MONA, which stands for “Made Of New AI.”
The company's CEO said that MONA will be officially introduced in June this year, so stay tuned for more details.
Last but not least, XPeng shared updates on its charging technology, low-altitude flying arm AeroHT, and the recent cooperation agreement it signed with the Volkswagen Group. On the charging side, XPeng says that in Q3 2024 he plans to upgrade his 800 kW DC fast charger, which could enable the industry's highest charging speeds.
The automaker says the equipment upgrades will allow the XPeng EV to increase speeds by more than 1 km (0.62 miles per second). After attracting a lot of attention at his CES in January, AeroHT's flying car was displayed next to his other XPeng EV in Beijing. Another vehicle in the eVTOL sector, the modular flying car, is still seeking airworthiness certification and is expected to go on pre-sale in China in Q4 2024.
That's all for now. As promised, we will be posting the full text of the XPeng press conference at the Beijing Motor Show translated into English.
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