XPeng Robotaxi approved for L4 demonstration operations in Guangzhou – Tesla Cybercab has a new Chinese rival

XPeng has received approval to begin Level 4 (L4) autonomous Robotaxi demonstration operations in Guangzhou, China, marking a major step towards bringing its self-driving technology into commercial use.

The approval means XPeng can now test its Robotaxi service in real-world operating conditions, rather than focusing solely on the technology behind the vehicles. It will also allow the company to assess whether its autonomous driving system can support a commercially viable passenger service.

The development comes as XPeng looks to turn its Physical AI technology into a business, with its Robotaxi programme emerging as a potential Chinese rival to Tesla's Cybercab.

Robotaxi service moves into real-world operations

With permission to begin demonstration operations, XPeng will now be able to put more of its Robotaxi service to the test.

Beyond autonomous driving performance, the company will need to assess how well the service handles bookings, vehicle dispatch, passenger pick-ups and drop-offs, and unexpected situations. These are all essential to running a reliable Robotaxi fleet.

XPeng's YOYO mobility platform will be used to evaluate vehicle utilisation, dispatch efficiency, operating costs and fleet management.

The company says it will initially offer public rides through an invitation-code system, before gradually expanding access as operations progress.

Powered by XPeng's own AI technology

Based on the XPeng GX, XPeng's Robotaxi is China's first mass-produced Robotaxi with both hardware and software developed entirely in-house.

The vehicle is equipped with four XPeng Turing AI chips with a combined 3,000 TOPS of computing power, and runs the company's second-generation Vision-Language-Action (VLA) model.

XPeng is taking a similar approach to Tesla's Cybercab project by developing an autonomous driving system that can be used across different locations without extensive city-specific modifications.

The aim is to make the technology adaptable to different roads and traffic conditions, potentially allowing XPeng to introduce Robotaxi services in other Chinese cities and eventually overseas.