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 Dodge Charger Daytona EV made headlines when it rolled out fake engine noises as a way to make the EV appeal to muscle car drivers. As it turns out, they weren’t the right sort of fake engine noises – and now Stellantis has to recall 8,000 of them for a fix.
According to the ChryCo fans at Mopar Insider, Stellantis is recalling ~8,390 examples of its 2024 to 2025 Dodge Charger Daytona EVs because of an exterior amplifier that may be missing critical enabling the amp to emit exterior sounds – including the Federally mandated pedestrian warning sounds designed to keep pedestrians safe.
What’s more, the recall’s “suspect period” reportedly begins on 30APR2024, when the first 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona was produced, and ends 18MAR2025 … when the last Charger EV was produced.
RECALL CHRONOLOGY
- On April 17, 2025, the FCA US LLC (“FCA US”) Technical Safety and Regulatory Compliance (“TSRC”) organization opened an investigation into certain 2024–2025 model year Dodge Charger vehicles that may not emit exterior sound.
- From April 17, 2025, through May 13, 2025, FCA US TSRC met with FCA US Engineering and the supplier to understand all potential failure modes associated with the issue. They also reviewed warranty data, field records, and customer assistance records to determine field occurrences.
- On May 14, 2025, the FCA US TSRC organization determined that a vehicle build issue existed on certain vehicles related to a lack of EV exterior sound, potentially resulting in noncompliance with FMVSS No. 141.
Without the software patch, the vehicles don’t comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) No. 141, “Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles.” The rule requires noisemakers for EVs and hybrids when operating under 19 mph, the safest speeds for pedestrians.
Basically, if you have a Dodge Charger EV, expect to get a recall notice.
It just keeps getting funnier
If you’re not familiar with the Charger Daytona EV’s “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust,” it’s a system that employs a combination of digital sound synthesis and a physical tuning chamber (translation: a speaker) to produce a 126 decibel sound that approximately imitates a Hellcat Hemi V8 ICE. That’s loud enough to cause most people physical pain, according to Yale University – putting it somewhere between a loud rock concert and a passenger jet at takeoff.
While you could argue that such noises are part and parcel with powerful combustion, they’re completely irrelevant to an EV, and speak to a particular sort of infantile delusion of masculinity that I, frankly, have never been able to wrap my head around. Something akin to the, “Hey, look at me! I’m a big tough guy!” attention-whoring of a suburban Harley rider in a “Sons of Anarchy” novelty cut, without even enough courage to ride a motorcycle, you know?
You know – and I bet you can help me dial in the the comparison to perfection (and help me explain why the car just isn’t selling) in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
SOURCE: Mopar Insiders; featured image by Stellantis.
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Is it an electric van or a truck? The Kia PV5 might be in a class of its own. Kia’s electric van was recently spotted charging in public with an open bed, and it looks like a real truck.
Kia’s electric van morphs into a truck with an open bed
The PV5 is the first of a series of electric vans as part of Kia’s new Platform Beyond Vehicle business (PBV). Kia claims the PBVs are more than vans, they are “total mobility solutions,” equipped with Hyundai’s advanced software.
Based on the flexible new EV platform, E-GMP.S, Kia has several new variants in the pipeline, including camper vans, refrigerated trucks, luxury “Prime” models for passenger use, and an open bed model.
Kia launched the PV5 Passenger and Cargo in the UK earlier this year for business and personal use. We knew more were coming, but now we are getting a look at a new variant in public.
Although we got a brief glimpse of it earlier this month driving by in Korea, Kia’s electric van was spotted charging in public with an open bed.
The folks at HealerTV found the PV5 variant with an open bed parked in Korea, offering us a good look from all angles.
From the front, it resembles the Passenger and Cargo variants, featuring slim vertical LED headlights. However, from the side, it’s an entirely different vehicle. The truck sits low to the ground, similar to the one captured driving earlier this month.
When you look at it from the back, you can’t even tell it’s the PV5. It looks like any other cargo truck with an open bed.
The PV5 open bed measures 5,000 mm in length, 1,900 mm in width, and 2,000 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,000 mm. Although Kia has yet to say how big the bed will be, the reporter mentions it doesn’t look that deep, but it’s wide enough to carry a good load.
The open bed will be one of several PV5 variants that Kia plans to launch in Europe and Korea later this year, alongside the Passenger, Cargo, and Chassis Cab configurations.
In Europe, the PV5 Passenger is available with two battery pack options: 51.5 kWh or 71.2 kWh, providing WLTP ranges of 179 miles and 249 miles, respectively. The Cargo variant is rated with a WLTP range of 181 miles or 247 miles.
Kia will reveal battery specs closer to launch for the open bed variant, but claims it “has the longest driving range among compact commercial EVs in its class.”
In 2027, Kia will launch the larger PV7, followed by an even bigger PV9 in 2029. There’s also a smaller PV1 in the works, which is expected to arrive sometime next year or in 2027.
What do you think of Kia’s electric van? Will it be a game changer? With plenty of variants on the way, it has a good chance. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: HealerTV
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