Chinese EV maker Xpeng launches advanced semi-autonomous driving system in Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Shanghai

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) start-up Xpeng has launched an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) that is similar to Tesla's full self-driving (FSD) software, enabling its cars to navigate their way automatically on city streets.

The carmaker backed by e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding, the owner of this newspaper, said on Friday that the X NGP (navigation guided pilot) software can now be used in the G9 Max and P7i Max models in Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Shanghai.

Xpeng claims the semi-autonomous driving system to be China's first ADAS for use in city driving environment. Cars fitted with the system are capable of recognising traffic lights at an intersection, conducting full lane changing, overtaking and turning left or right automatically.

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"We are truly proud of making the leap forward by significantly enriching driving experience using the latest technology iterations," said Wu Xinzhou, vice-president and head of autonomous driving centre at Xpeng. "We are continuously pushing the envelope to further enhance the safety of our customers."

Drivers of the Xpeng's G9 Max (above) and the P7i Max can use the navigation guided pilot system in Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Shanghai. Photo: Handout alt=Drivers of the Xpeng's G9 Max (above) and the P7i Max can use the navigation guided pilot system in Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Shanghai. Photo: Handout>

Owners of G9 Max and P7i Max can access the technology through over-the-air (OTA) software updates, free of charge.

Xpeng said use of the X NGP software will be expanded to other cities in the second half of this year.

The Guangzhou-based company said the NGP for city use can be about 90 per cent as efficient as a human driver, and an updated ADAS featuring "from start to park" all-scenario autonomous driving will be rolled out in 2024.

Typically, a driver assistance system uses algorithms to analyse traffic data collected in real time by on-board sensors. The sensors help the vehicle decide whether to pass a slow-moving car, but it still requires human intervention.

Xpeng's NGP and Tesla's FSD still require active driver supervision and have yet to make the vehicles fully autonomous. Tesla's FSD has not been approved for use in China.

In March 2021, a fleet of Xpeng P7 cars completed a 3,675-kilometre autonomous driving test on highways from Guangzhou to Beijing. The frequency of human intervention was 0.7 times per 100km.

In March last year, He Xiaopeng, co-founder and CEO of Xpeng, said results from test drives showed Xpeng's city NGP could outperform Tesla's FSD, according to local media outlet Auto Time.

Xpeng, along with Shanghai-based Nio and Beijing-headquartered Li Auto, is viewed as China's best response to Tesla, which is the ­runaway leader in the ­country's premium EV segment.

The start-up, listed in New York and Hong Kong, has been developing its autonomous driving capability. Since 2020, it has been actively developing new products based on its EV business, including a flying car and a robot pony, ­creating an ecosystem that He envisions as fully catering to ­people's transport demands.

In February, Xpeng delivered 6,015 units to customers in China, an increase of 15 per cent from a month earlier, but this was still 215 units fewer compared with a year ago.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

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