However, the Guangzhou-based company in China is also investigating areas that may impact long-term goals, such as robotics and flying cars
China’s electric vehicle start-ups in the near future XPeng We are trying to expand sales in the world’s largest automobile market.
However, the Guangzhou-based company in China is also investigating areas that may impact long-term goals, such as robotics and flying cars.
In an interview with CNBC on Thursday, XPeng founder and CEO He Xiaopeng said he was hitting the automotive industry with a continuous shortage of chips and Chinese Tesla rivals in robotics and flight modes. We talked about why we are investing in transportation.
Earlier this year, XPeng unveiled a second prototype of a flying passenger car that has been in development for eight years. And on Tuesday, I unwrapped the four-legged “robot unicorn” as it pushed into a new business area.
“As technology evolves, the form of mobility will evolve from wheels to wings, propellers, four legs or two feet,” he said, according to a CNBC translation of his Mandarin comment. “Technology should help people lead better and happier lives. This has always been my goal.”
The founders of XPeng predict that every car maker will be both a car maker and a robotics company. The process he says can take 10 to 30 years. XPeng sees robots as a “slow and random environment” transport tool.
“Because it will be better and smarter in the long run, it may help with some simple repetitive tasks. As transportation tools become more and more intelligent, it may help to perform some tasks. This is our vision, “he says. Said.
XPeng rivals Tesla We are also investing in robotics.Last month, CEO Elon Musk said the company Build a humanoid robot called Tess Labot..Other companies such as Boston Dynamics and Chinese electronics giants are also showing off their robots Xiaomi.
Flying car
XPeng’s second flying car prototype, the first X2 capable of carrying passengers, was announced in July.
Founder He said the company has a R & D team that “has hundreds of people.”
“I would like to introduce a flying car that can take off and land vertically, and a flying car from low to medium altitude,” he said.
Many car companies Hyundai Motor Co., Ltd. and China-based Aircraft Co., Ltd. are developing aircraft. Other companies like Guangzhou-based EHang are also working on passenger drones.
The founder of XPeng said the company will hold a press conference in the future, perhaps within a year, discuss dimensions and pricing, and begin pre-ordering flying cars.
Shortage of chips, new products
Like many car makers, XPeng is affected Global shortage of semiconductors It gets in the car .The company Vehicle shipments declined in August and July.. XPeng has three cars on the market: the flagship P7 sedan, a cheap sedan called the P5 and a G3 sports utility vehicle.
Supply chains are the “biggest challenge” for companies, but he sees them as an opportunity to build resilience for automakers.
“The pandemic has created a shortage of semiconductor chips that will be the biggest blow to our business. We expect the chip shortage to be alleviated in about 18 months from now. The situation could worsen in the near future. There is, “he said.
“XPeng is a very young company. I think this is an early test. If we overcome the challenges and are ready for the future, it will be even better when we reach 300,000 or 500,000 units a year. “
The CEO said the company will launch more cars in the future, ranging from RMB 200,000 ($ 30,968) to RMB 400,000. Currently, the cheapest car, the P5, starts at 160,000 yuan. He also said that the model could include a larger 5-seater or 7-seater model. The company does not yet have a 7-seater model.
XPeng is developing its own in-house, so it is trying to sell it as something different from its domestic rivals. Semi-automatic operation function With a system called XPilot. The latest version of XPilot 3.0, which can be added to the car as an optional extra, is a rival to Tesla’s Autopilot.
In the first quarter of this year, XPeng said that Recorded revenue from software for the first time Includes the assist drive system XPilot. The founders said that most of XPeng’s revenue now comes from hardware, but software will be its “growth part”.
“My idea is to focus more on the software business after the launch of XPilot 4.0,” he said of the next version of the limited self-driving feature suite.
Originally published at Eminetra