XPeng 1024 Tech Day 2022 recap: Neural net autonomous driving, robotaxis, and ‘flying car’ footage
XPeng completed its fourth annual 1024 Tech Day in China today, highlighting several of its latest technological breakthroughs in electric mobility. The presentation included several advancements in autonomous driving, robotic animals, and self-evolving AI platforms. Additionally, XPeng Inc. shared that its sixth generation eVTOL – the closest thing we’ve seen to an actual flying car – completed its maiden flight. Lots to unfold here, so let’s get started.
Table of contents
Quick recap leading up to XPeng’s Tech Day 2022
XPeng Inc. ($XPEV) is a Chinese EV manufacturer founded in 2014 in Guangzhou that is made up of XPeng Motors and XPeng AeroHT, formerly known as XPeng Huitian – which specializes in Urban Air Mobility (UAM).
In addition to manufacturing EVs and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, XPeng develops its own software and charging products and has begun dipping into other ventures like robotics as well.
During last year’s 1024 Tech Day, XPeng revealed advancements to its XPILOT ADAS, “X Power” superchargers, and a robotic pony prototype equipped with LiDAR. XPeng wrapped last year’s Tech Day with what was probably its coolest announcement: the debut of its sixth generation eVTOL – the first to actually be worthy of the term “flying car.”
Previous versions of its eVTOLs didn’t have wheels but were based around the XPeng’s P7 EV architecture, so the UAM division still used the term “flying car.” However, AeroHT’s latest model can traverse both roads and air and has recently completed its maiden flight. More on that below.
Big upgrades to XPeng’s XNGP ADAS
When it debuted on the automaker’s G9 SUV in September, XNGP (navigation-guided pilot) was announced as XPeng’s last step before achieving fully autonomous driving. XNGP combines all scenarios of the automaker’s existing ADAS capabilities (highway, city, parking) into one holistic system that will soon no longer require high-precision maps to function – essentially opening up its availability to any and all areas.
At Tech Day 2022, XPeng shared that XNGP is backed by major hardware upgrades, including 508 TOPS of computing power, a dual-LiDAR system, 8-megapixel HD cameras, and a new software architecture called XNet, which operates using a closed-loop, self-evolving AI and data system.
XPeng unveils XNet neural network-based architecture at Tech Day
XPeng’s XNet varies from its first-generation visual perception architecture by adopting a deep neural network that was developed in-house to deliver visual recognition with human-like decision-making capabilities, drawing data from multiple cameras.
The company explained that its autonomous driving technical stack can reach 600 PFLOPS, increasing the training efficiency of the autonomous driving model by over 600 times. To that note, model training can be significantly reduced from 276 days to just 11 hours.
For added texture in regard to XNet’s streamlined efficiencies, it now only uses 9% of its Orin-X chip’s processing power, compared with 122% before optimization. These upgrades have enabled XPeng to establish an entirely closed-loop autonomous driving data system (data collection, labeling, training, and deployment) that utilizes lightning-fast machine learning to consistently self-improve. Per the release:
XPeng’s high-efficient AI capabilities enable consistent and unsupervised machine leaning and rapid iterations in training models, resolving over 1,000 rare corner cases each year. This highly efficient closed-loop AI and data system has helped reducing incident rate for the Highway NGP by 95%.
Continuing through the Tech Day presentation, the XPeng team explained that the technology above will help enable the automaker to develop and deploy an autonomous robotaxi fleet in China.
G9 SUV will be part of the XPeng’s robotaxi network in China
On stage at Tech Day 2022 in Guangzhou was XPeng’s vice president of autonomous driving, Dr. Xinzhou Wu, who shared that XPeng is developing a robotaxi network in China. The company shared that the G9 SUV became the country’s first mass-produced commercial vehicle to pass the Autonomous Driving Closed-field Test led by the Chinese government.
By completing the test to operate in a tier-one city like Guangzhou, XPeng states it has taken a major step forward in robotaxi development, all while using existing technology present on its latest EV. Wu elaborated:
Obtaining the road test permit by our mass-produced commercial vehicles – with no retrofit – is a major achievement. Our platform-based robotaxi development aims to generate significant cost benefits, and ensure product quality, safety and user experience.
XPeng’s robotic pet gets an upgrade to support better motion
As you can see from the image above, XPeng’s software is not the only technology that got upgrades since last year’s 1024 Tech Day event. The aforementioned “pony” robot has gotten a revamped design to support multidegree-of-freedom (MDOF) motion and locomotion capabilities. Other upgraded features include the following:
- A more sophisticated mechanical structure
- Higher transmission efficiency
- Stronger robot actuator
- High-end auto-grade computing platform
- Battery and thermal management system
- Significant upgrades to the motion control system
- Robot can better adapt to complex indoor and outdoor terrain conditions like stairs, steep slopes, and gravel roads
The robot 2.0 looks cooler but is still sort of creepy. We’d still take it over a Tesla humanoid bot any day, though. We are looking forward to seeing it in action. Perhaps a battle against Boston Dynamics?
Latest eVTOL gets upgraded design, completes maiden flight
Last, and certainly not least, is the latest eVTOL update from AeroHT. Much like XPeng’s 1024 Tech Day last year, footage of its sixth-generation “flying car” stole the show.
During this year’s event, XPeng unveiled the latest version of the eVTOL, which has been optimized from last year’s horizontal dual-rotor structure to a new distributed multirotor configuration. The company also shared that the overall system design complexity of the eVTOL has been reduced to ensure better safety and reliability during flights.
As previously mentioned, this eVTOL is equipped with wheels and is capable of driving mode in addition to flight mode. XPeng AeroHT explained that driving mode is comparable to any conventional car in terms of functionality and measurement.
In flight mode, however, the eVTOL is piloted using the steering wheel and a right-hand gear lever that controls movement forward and backward, makes turns, ascends, hovers, and descends. AeroHT demonstrated this wheel and lever design in an eVTOL test flight video from July.
In addition to showcasing the upgraded flying car, XPeng also shared that the eVTOL has already completed its maiden flight in addition to multiple single-motor failure tests.
We’re still awaiting that flight footage from XPeng, but for now you can check out the rendering video showcasing the new eVTOL design shared during the Tech Day presentation.
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The BP logo is displayed outside a petrol station that also offers electric vehicle recharging, on Feb. 27, 2025, in Somerset, England.
Anna Barclay | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Oil giant BP is bracing itself for a shareholder backlash at its annual general meeting (AGM) on Thursday, with a chorus of disgruntled investors planning to voice their concerns over the firm’s green strategy U-turn.
A planned resolution on the reelection of outgoing BP Chair Helge Lund has been billed as an opportunity for investors to signal discontent on climate change, corporate governance and the influence of U.S. hedge fund Elliott Management.
Britain’s beleaguered energy major, which has lagged behind more hydrocarbon-focused industry peers in recent years, has sought to resolve something of an identity crisis by launching a fundamental reset.
Seeking to rebuild investor confidence and boost near-term shareholder returns, BP in February pledged to slash renewable spending and ramp up annual expenditure on its core business of oil and gas.
The strategy reset was broadly welcomed by energy analysts, and BP CEO Murray Auchincloss has since said the pivot attracted “significant interest” in the firm’s non-core assets.
British asset manager Legal & General, a leading shareholder in BP with a roughly 1% stake, said it intends to vote against Lund’s reelection on Thursday — a position that would defy BP’s management recommendation.
Legal & General cited dissatisfaction over major revisions to the firm’s energy strategy, alongside BP’s decision not to allow a shareholder vote on the new direction.
Legal & General’s plans align with those of international asset manager Robeco, U.K. pension funds Nest and Border to Coast, as well as activist investors including Dutch group Follow This — all of which have indicated they will vote against Lund’s reelection.
Norway’s gigantic sovereign wealth fund and a number of U.S. pensions funds, however, have reportedly said they will back Lund’s reelection. Proxy advisors Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis have also recommended a vote in favor of Lund, according to Reuters.
It paves the way for a shareholder showdown at BP’s AGM, with observers closely monitoring the level of investor opposition to Lund’s reelection. Historically, votes against the chair of BP have remained under 10%.
A BP spokesperson declined to comment when contacted by CNBC.
Energy transition plans
BP’s renewed focus on oil and gas comes at a time when the London-listed energy firm is firmly in the spotlight as a potential takeover target. British rival Shell and U.S. oil giants Exxon Mobil and Chevron have all been touted as possible suitors.
“We value the significant steps BP has taken in recent years regarding its climate-related commitments and efforts, which we have supported through extensive and constructive dialogues, aimed at creating long-term value as the climate transition unfolds,” Legal & General’s investment stewardship team said on April 11.
Murray Auchincloss, chief executive officer of BP, during the “CERAWeek by S&P Global” conference in Houston, Texas, on March 11, 2025.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
“However, we are deeply concerned by the recent substantive revisions made to the company’s strategy as announced at the 2025 Capital Markets Day on 26 February, coupled with the decision not to allow a shareholder vote on the newly amended climate transition strategy at the 2025 AGM,” they added.
Legal & General said BP’s announcement earlier this month that Lund will step down, likely next year, was viewed “positively,” but ongoing unease about the firm’s succession plan means it intends to vote against the AGM resolution.
Five years ago, BP became one of the first energy giants to announce plans to cut emissions to net zero “by 2050 or sooner.” As part of that push, BP pledged to slash emissions by up to 40% by 2030 and to ramp up investment in renewables projects.
The company scaled back this emissions target to 20% to 30% in February 2023, saying at the time that it needed to keep investing in oil and gas to meet global demand.
Robeco said in its rationale that BP had refused to repeat a so-called “Say on Climate” vote for its strategy revision, despite previously requesting shareholder support for the firm’s previous and “more ambitious” transition goals.
“We have unsuccessfully requested such a consistent feedback mechanism several times, including in a public letter alongside other investors with GBP 5 trillion in assets under management,” said Michiel van Esch, head of voting at Robeco.
“As a result, we have growing concerns over the company’s resilience through the energy transition, and over the consistency of its approach to climate governance, leading us to vote against the chairman and chair of the safety and sustainability committee,” he added.
Governance concerns
Elliott Management, for its part, is widely thought to be putting pressure on BP to minimize low-carbon investments and prioritize oil and gas. It emerged recently that the activist investor has built a near 5% stake in BP, making it one of the firm’s largest shareholders.
Activist shareholder Follow This, which has a long history of pushing for Big Oil to do more to tackle climate change, said the need to vote against Lund had not disappeared following news of his looming departure. The group added that investors concerned with good governance should voice their dissatisfaction.
“Voting against the board is the only way for shareholders to express their dissent over BP’s refusal to allow a vote on its strategy U-turn,” Mark van Baal, founder of Follow This, said in a statement.
“Now, the board has unilaterally changed course without asking shareholder support with a vote. This raises serious governance concerns. It seems BP’s leadership is afraid of its own shareholders,” he added.
Shares of BP are down nearly 10% year-to-date.
Luxury is a tough concept to pin down, but being constantly connected to work, kids, and telemarketers ain’t it. Genesis gets it, and its latest ultra-luxe off-road concept ditches screens in favor of the view out the windshield – and it’s got enough off-road chops to promise two things about those views: they’re real, and they’re spectacular!
Genesis calls its new X Gran Equator concept an elegant overlander for the modern explorer that marries on-road sophistication with off-road resilience. Whatever they call it, the 4×4’s dashboard is delightfully free from sweeping touchscreens, mood lighting, and any hint of telephonic integration.
Indeed, the interior looked so much like something from the 90s that I double and triple-checked the date on the press release. But don’t take my word for it, check it for yourself.
It’s fantastic
If you zoom in, you can see screens in the instruments. High-definition roll and pitch displays, altimeters, and probably other outdoorsy, overland-y things that the sort of people who want to do that in what would surely be a very well-appointed six-figure SUV for a similarly very well-heeled buyer.
And that buyer? They wouldn’t miss the screen, because the screen doesn’t matter. The real show is out the front windshield – and if someone from the office calls to interrupt the vibe, you won’t even know. I know I’d pay extra for that … and I can’t imagine I’m alone.
This is how Genesis explains it:
Inside, the X Gran Equator Concept orchestrates contrast between analog architecture and digital technologies, crafting a space that feels both functional and evocative. At the center of the cabin is a four-circle display cluster on the center stack, inspired by the vintage camera dials. The interior design features contrasting colors and shapes, with a preference for geometric over organic elements. The dashboard’s linear architecture and absence of decorations focus the driver’s attention on the journey, while swiveling front seats and modular storage solutions enhance practicality.
Genesis didn’t provide pictures of those swiveling seats or modular storage compartments on this concept, but the X Gran Equator Concept will make its in-person debut April 18th at the Genesis booth during the 2025 New York International Auto Show.
After the show, the company will move the concept to a display at Genesis House New York in the Meatpacking District, where it will stay “in residence” until the end of July. If you’re out that way for either event, take a picture of it and tag Electrek on Instagram!
Genesis X Gran Equator photo gallery
SOURCE | IMAGES: Genesis.
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The new-for-2025 Honda P7 electric SUV officially went on sale earlier today with 469 hp and more than 650 km (403 miles) of range from its 89.8-kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery … and you won’t believe the price!
First shown as a concept at the launch of Honda’s Ye brand a year ago, today. Ye is a joint venture between Honda and local automakers Dongfeng, who build the brand’s S7 model, and GAC, which helped develop the mechanically similar P7 that just went on sale.
And, by “similar,” I mean really, really similar. The AWD version of the new Honda P7 offers up to 620 km (385 miles) of CLTC-rated range, while the RWD can go 650 km (403 miles), which are identical figures to the S7. Even the crossover’s dimensions, at 4,750 mm long, 1,930 mm wide, and 1,625 mm tall with a 2,930 mm wheelbase, are identical.
Even the interiors – which are fantastic, by the way, with an innovative mix of screens, buttons, and super-slick sideview monitors – are tough to tell apart.
Honda Ye EV interior(s)
So, how can you tell the P7 apart from its S7 sibling? The P7 has C-shaped lighting elements that are distinctive from the S7’s X-shaped lights. The end result is a face that reads a bit more “Honda” to me, but that may or may not be a good thing in the Chinese market.
Pricing for the new Honda P7 starts at 199,900 yuan (about $27,200) for the two wheel drive variant, and is also offered with all-wheel drive for 249,900 yuan (about $34,000, as I type this), complete with the sort of advanced ADAS features you have to pay good money to supervise here in the US. That pricing makes both P7 models significantly less expensive that the what the company thought would be the vehicle’s main competitor, the Tesla Model Y.
The world has changed a lot since then however – and whether or not the Model Y is still considered a serious rival remains to be seen.
If you’re in the mood to check out an all-electric Honda in the US, click here to set up a test drive and explore local deals on a new Prologue. In the meantime, I invite you to take a look at some of the press photos of the new P7, below, then let us know what you think in the comments.
P7 image gallery
SOURCE | IMAGES: Honda; via Paul Tan.
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