Xpeng Unveils Ambitious AI-Powered Future: Robotaxis, Humanoid Robots, and Flying Cars Set for 2026 Launch

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Chinese EV maker Xpeng announces major AI expansion with VLA 2.0 model powering robotaxis, humanoid robots, and flying cars. The company plans commercial launches starting in 2026, positioning itself as an AI-first transportation company.

Xpeng's AI-Powered Transportation Revolution

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Xpeng has unveiled an ambitious expansion beyond traditional automotive manufacturing, positioning itself as an AI-first company with plans to launch robotaxis, humanoid robots, and flying cars by 2026. At its annual AI Day event in Guangzhou, the company introduced its revolutionary VLA 2.0 vision-centered AI model that will power a diverse ecosystem of autonomous vehicles and robots

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Source: Electrek

Source: Electrek

The company's strategic pivot mirrors Tesla's transformation into an "AI and robotics company," with CEO Xiaopeng He focusing heavily on what he terms "Physical AI" - the integration of artificial intelligence into physical products and robots

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Revolutionary VLA 2.0 AI Architecture

Xpeng's new VLA 2.0 system represents a significant departure from traditional "Vision-Language-Action" architectures used by competitors. Instead of translating visual inputs into language before generating actions, the new model uses a direct "Vision-Implicit Token-Action" path, eliminating the language bottleneck entirely

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This approach enables faster, more intuitive responses that function almost like human reflexes. The system was trained on approximately 100 million videos and runs a distilled model with billions of parameters, significantly more complex than rivals' models with tens of millions of parameters

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Robotaxi Fleet with Unprecedented Computing Power

Xpeng announced three purpose-built robotaxi models - a 5-seater, 6-seater, and 7-seater - scheduled for trial operations in 2026. These vehicles will feature four of Xpeng's self-developed "Turing" AI chips delivering 3,000 TOPS of computing power, which the company claims represents the highest in-car computing power globally

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The robotaxis will employ a vision-only approach powered by the VLA 2.0 model, with dual hardware systems for redundancy. Xpeng has already secured its first partnership with Alibaba's digital mapping subsidiary AutoNavi and Amap app for deployment

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Co-president Brian Gu acknowledged a significant shift in the company's timeline, noting that "the tech is happening faster than we anticipated" compared to his previous assessment that robotaxis wouldn't become significant for at least five years

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Advanced Humanoid Robotics Development

Xpeng unveiled the latest generation of its IRON humanoid robot, featuring significant improvements over previous versions. The new robot incorporates humanoid bones, bionic muscles, and full-coverage soft skin, powered by three Turing AI chips delivering 2,250 TOPS of computing power

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The robot demonstrates enhanced dexterity with 22 additional degrees of freedom in its hands and utilizes an all-solid-state battery system. Unlike competitors Tesla and 1X, which predict mass commercialization in 2026, Xpeng is taking a more conservative approach to humanoid robot commercialization while planning to begin mass production next year

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Flying Car Production and Commercial Plans

Xpeng's aviation division, Aridge, is preparing to launch two distinct flying vehicle concepts. The Land Aircraft Carrier, first announced in 2023, has received over 7,000 global orders at $280,000 per unit and is nearing mass production

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Source: TechRadar

Source: TechRadar

This innovative system pairs a six-wheel hybrid-electric carrier with a two-person electric copter that docks for terrestrial transport and charging. The flying module offers a 20-kilometer range with 20-minute flight times, designed for scenic tours and point-to-point business transportation

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The newly unveiled A868 tiltrotor aircraft represents a more ambitious project, designed as a six-seat vehicle with 500-kilometer range and 360 km/h cruise speed. Built on Xpeng's "Kunpeng Super Extended-Range Architecture," it operates like a hybrid car with an internal combustion engine charging the battery and powering electric motors

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Source: Tom's Guide

Source: Tom's Guide

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