Chinese EVs are spreading around the world, but not in the US
Yet despite this, XPENG continues to maintain its Silicon Valley R&D center, as well as develop its own technology for American drivers. Speaking to Mashable, Dr. Jianming Liu, head of XPENG’s General Intelligence Center, explained that, although it is not in the US market and does not test its cars in the country, having an R&D center there is invaluable in ensuring that it is familiar with driving habits and conditions around the world.
“We need to make sure that we and our R&D team understand not only the regulations, traffic rules, but also the needs of the customers or the habits of the customers. Once you have the local people driving [their cars] Every day in Europe, in America, you find out what people will like,” Liu said. “How people are using [their cars] And how the rules differ. I mean, traffic rules are different, traffic signs, everything is different.”
XPENG has also established an R&D center in Munich, Germany, with Liu telling Mashable that each of these locations offers the company specific individual benefits. While there is a lot of talent and innovation in Silicon Valley, Germany excels in manufacturing and is home to many successful automotive companies. By conducting research and development in these areas, XPENG aims to both utilize these resources and learn from them.
“Once you have an R&D center in all regions of the world, you can connect all the talents, all the ideas together, and you can make sure that everyone complements each other,” Liu said.
EV: the future of the automotive industry
XPENG demonstrated the technology in its cars at the Beijing Auto Show.
Credit: Xpeng
This also includes exploitation of China’s resources. Like the San Francisco Bay Area, Liu said there is an abundance of talent in China’s Greater Bay Area, which includes Guangzhou where XPENG is headquartered. The widespread acceptance of EVs in China certainly also helps autonomous car development in the region.
Speaking on the advantages of his Chinese R&D center, Liu said, “We have the people, we have the freedom, we have the flexibility to create innovations.” “But even in China, the application of AI system is very fast… People accept the concept of AI, accept the concept of [autonomous] Are driving, and are also willing to use it. So this gives us great scope to continue to iterate on the product.”
More than half of all new cars sold in China are new energy vehicles (NEVs), meaning they are primarily or entirely powered by electricity. This April, this number rose above 60 percent. China is not the only country adopting EVs, with global electric car sales expected to increase by more than 25 percent in 2024. Nearly all new cars sold in Norway through 2025 were EVs, while regions such as Latin America and Africa saw double the adoption of EVs. In comparison, US EV uptake has slowed significantly over the past two years, although they still account for about 10 percent of new car sales in the country.
“The new energy revolution is changing the world,” Liu said. “This is happening not only in the US, not only in China, but also in other countries. South America, Central America and even in Europe, South Asia. So we will see the numbers continue to grow. And it can also be very beneficial for the economy and the environment.”
These aren’t the only benefits of widespread EV adoption. Liu also pointed out that NEVs have better compatibility with autonomous driving systems than traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) cars.
“New energy vehicles are more suitable for intelligent car systems or smart driving because the control chain is shorter,” Liu said. “The signal is an electric signal, rather than a power train that uses gas.”
mashable light speed
Thus, it is far simpler to develop a fully autonomous EV than an ICE vehicle. If fully self-driving cars are not only to become a reality, but the technology is to become commonplace, it will require people – and governments – to adopt electric cars first.
Building a Safe Self-Driving Car
Autonomous driving systems are better suited for EVs than traditional combustion engine cars.
Credit: Xpeng
Liu previously worked at American self-driving car company Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors. When asked to compare the development approaches in the autonomous car industries of the US and China, he said he found them similar: Safety is paramount.
“One underlying principle or philosophy that is not changing across different sectors is security,” Liu said. “That’s the first principle. It doesn’t matter where you’re working, whether the US, Europe, or China, or even Southeast Asia, the problem is the same.”
It also aims to ensure that the car feels safe and offers a smooth, comfortable experience that drivers can enjoy with peace of mind.
“We have four axes to evaluate our systems. We call it CCES: comfort, compliance, efficiency and security,” Liu said. “So you can be sure the car is safe enough, but there’s a lot of wear and tear [are] Not now [comfortable]”
For Liu, controlling the speed of the car is important to ensure both safety and comfort. To deliver this, XPENG trains its VLA 2.0 autonomous driving models to recognize and adjust to real-time road conditions, as well as recognize road markings and signs instead of relying on map data to determine the car’s behavior.
“We don’t use any kind of rules or external information to say you have to drive at this speed,” Liu said. “Of course, people can control the wheel to set the speed limit, control the scroll [of the car]. The model tries to figure out what kind of typical speed people would drive in this kind of situation, because we need to make sure that the car is safe enough as well. [isn’t] Too slow.”
Autonomous Cars for the World (Except the US)
Although VLA 2.0 is expected to hit the global market in 2027, XPENG has not released any details about its international release schedule. Currently, which country it will reach first will largely depend on whose regulations and standards XPENG can meet first.
“We’re trying to work in different areas of the world, different regions, but we also work with local governments [ensure] We meet all the requirements,” Liu said.
The US may not be one of these regions, but being left out of that market hasn’t slowed XPENG’s ambitions. The company continues to invest in R&D to ensure it can meet the diverse needs of new markets, wherever they may be.
“We are seeing trends [of increasing EV adoption] Changing the entire industry. With all the cars sold in China now, if you don’t have a smart driving system, people generally won’t consider it,” Liu said. “That’s why we keep working hard on physical AI. Because we believe this is going to be the next big thing, and it will be invaluable over the next decade.”
The auto industry is evolving at a rapid pace, with EV acceptance and adoption accelerating around the world. XPENG is working to ensure that they are ready for this future, and that they will be ready if the US decides to join.
This interview has been lightly edited for grammar and clarity.
Disclosure: Mashable traveled to China as a guest of XPENG.
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self-driving cars cars
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