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XPeng’s founder tested out Tesla FSD in the US to see how it compares to XNGP [Video]
For a couple of years, two of the leading driving systems pushing the limits of automotive autonomy have been Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) and XPeng Motors’ Navigation Guided Pilot (XNGP). Both EV automakers are leading the race in their respective markets, but neither technology is available in the opposite country (at least for now). In a cool video recently posted by XPeng, founder, chairman, and CEO He Xiaopeng tested out Tesla FSD for himself in the US and documented his experience, which you can see in the video below.
When you think about self-driving passenger EVs, Tesla is usually the first name that pops into your head. The American automaker has promised true self-driving capabilities in its models for years. It has yet to truly make good on that promise, but its current iteration of FSD is impressive in many ways.
Tesla still has not been certified for Level 3 autonomous driving in the US by SAE standards, while competitors like Mercedes-Benz are already selling EVs with that level of autonomy (with plenty of limiting parameters, of course).
Across the ocean in China, several EV automakers have developed self-driving technology of their own, and one of the clear leaders in the market is currently XPeng Motors. We’ve followed XPeng’s progress in autonomy and challenging Tesla FSD from its original ADAS, called Navigation Guided Pilot, or NGP, which initially only applied to highway driving scenarios.
XPeng has since introduced extended coverage to more congested urban roads with City NGP before piloting its next phase in self-driving – XNGP, which fully launched in March 2023, heralded as “the most advanced and capable in China.”
As of February 2024, XNGP is available to XPeng drivers throughout China. However, as Tesla inches closer to bringing FSD overseas, XPeng’s founder took a trip to the States to test its latest version in a friendly comparison video.
Watch XPeng’s founder shares his thoughts on Tesla FSD
Before the full video posted to YouTube by XPeng Motors earlier today, the automaker’s founder, chairman, and CEO, He Xiaopeng, took to LinkedIn to tease his experience in the US testing Tesla FSD V12.3.6. Per the post:
I am truly impressed by the significant progress FSD has made in just a few months. It offers valuable features and a user experience that we can learn from.
I believe 2025 will be a pivotal ‘ChatGPT moment’ for the fully autonomous driving era, revolutionizing how we interact with technology and fundamentally transforming the way we travel.
In the autonomous driving industry, everyone is learning from each other and iterating quickly to create a better mobility experience for all.
Xiaopeng shared that he also tested a Waymo self-driving vehicle, which he believes performed better than FSD in downtown San Francisco. However, he added that Tesla’s technology excelled around Silicon Valley, particularly on highways.
This is an interesting comparison video as XPeng Motors and Tesla do not have the rosiest past as EV competitors. At one point, Tesla tried to sue XPeng, claiming it stole its Autopilot source code. Still, that lawsuit was inevitably settled between the former employee and Tesla in 2021 and had no litigious involvement from XPeng whatsoever.
Another interesting tidbit is that reports earlier this year have shown that XPeng is considering transitioning from LiDAR sensors to pure vision cameras, similar to Tesla’s approach with FSD. With Tesla looking to bring FSD to China soon and XPeng simultaneously expanding XNGP availability in Europe, the global self-driving competition is heating up, and it’s fun to watch.
In the meantime, the video below is a fun comparison in which one EV industry leader compliments the technology of another in many ways. It’s refreshing to see, and we recommend watching it in its entirety, as there is a lot of great insight.
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The BYD “Shenzhen” set sail on its first voyage overseas this week. With 9,200 parking spots, or about enough to fill 20 football fields, BYD’s new car transport ship is now the world’s largest.
BYD’s largest car carrier sets sail for Brazil
BYD’s Shenzhen is on its maiden voyage to Brazil after setting sail on April 27. The vessel is carrying over 7,000 new energy vehicles (NEVs), including electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). It’s the largest single batch of NEVs exported from China so far.
The new vessel is BYD’s fourth car transport ship and the world’s largest, capable of carrying 9,000 vehicles. According to the company, that’s enough to fill about 20 football fields.
BYD launched its first car carrier, the Explorer No 1, in January 2024. It has already completed several trips to Germany, Spain, and Brazil.
Its second, the BYD Changzhou, set sail in December 2024, followed by the Hefei earlier this year. All three vessels can carry up to 7,000 vehicles, making the Shenzhen the largest so far.
The Shenzhen is named after the automaker’s hometown and demonstrates “BYD’s firm determination to promote sustainable development in Brazil.”
BYD is preparing to launch two more vessels, the Changsha and Xi’an. The Changsha is expected to launch soon, while the Xi’an was introduced on April 2.
The new car carriers will help accelerate BYD’s aggressive overseas expansion. In the first three months of 2025, the company sold over 206,000 NEVs overseas, more than double the number it sold last year.
BYD sells a wide range of vehicles in Brazil, including the low-cost Dolphin Mini, starting at around $20,000 (99,800 BRL). In October, it launched its first hybrid pickup truck, the Shark, starting at 379,800 BTL ($66,900).
Brazil is only one overseas market that BYD is targeting. BYD’s sales are expected to double in Europe in 2025, with significant growth in other key regions like Southeast Asia, Japan, Mexico, and South Korea, to name a few.
Source: BYD
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‘Tesla homes’ in a Houston neighborhood where all the homes have Tesla solar roofs and Powerwalls went for sale.
7 out of the 11 homes have reportedly already sold.
Tesla neighborhood is a term that is being used for new developments where all the homes integrate all or part of Tesla’s power ecosystem, including the Powerwall home battery pack.
The best example is a giant new development project in Austin, Texas, by Brookfield Asset Management and Dacra in which up to 12,000 new homes are to be built and offering Tesla solar roofs and Powerwalls.
However, since the announcement, it looks like only some of the homes in the new neighborhood have Tesla energy systems.
In 2022, Tesla also announced a similar project in Las Vegas.
A year later, the company claimed to have deployed “over 600 solar neighborhoods” worldwide, with a total capacity exceeding 100 MW.
One such ‘Tesla neighborhood’ is a small block of 11 townhouse homes featuring Tesla solar roofs and Powerwalls in Houston, Texas.
The homes were recently completed and went on sale, starting at $544,900.
Here are some pictures from the listings:
Utopia Homes, the developer behind the project, described the properties (via Chron):
Step into modern elegance expertly crafted by Utopia Homes. This property showcases groundbreaking Tesla Solar Roof Shingles and Power Wall technology, ensuring 100% energy security and eliminating electric bills for a truly sustainable lifestyle.
The house has proved popular according to the real estate agents, with 7 out of 11 homes already sold.
As we recently reported, Tesla’s solar roofs have proven to be a more expensive and niche product than the company previously presented.
Tesla has largely stopped discussing it, but it is still being deployed through some third-party installers, such as in this case, on new homes.
However, its Powerwall product remains a very popular solution for homeowners seeking greater energy independence and protection against outages, which have been a frequent problem in Texas.
More homeowners are turning to generators, and alternatives like home battery packs are gaining popularity.
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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online, and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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Canadian electric propulsion specialist Vision Marine continues to graduate beyond advanced outboard motors into a provider of all-electric boats. This month, Vision introduced two new electric pontoon boats – the 12-passenger V24 and 15-passenger V30, each capable of a range up to 90 nautical miles.
Vision Marine Technologies ($VMAR) is a Canadian technology company with over 25 years of experience in the marine industry. The company made waves (literally) by introducing its E-Motion turnkey powertrain system, which it has since integrated into a catamaran speedboat, which set a speed record of 109 mph in 2022.
Since then, Vision has introduced six hp two-cruiser vessels – the Fantail 217 and Volt 180, each capable of transporting 10 passengers via its E-Motion technology. Most recently, Vision Marine has integrated the full power of its 180 hp electric powertrain technology into two additional vessels, both electric pontoon boats.
Earlier this month, the company officially began sales of the Vision V24 and V30, which you can view below.
Vision Marine brings power and range to electric pontoons
According to Vision Marine Technologies, orders for its two new electric pontoon boats are now open, and they are touting the same E-Motion technology that put the company on the map a few years ago.
The first model is the V24, a 12-passenger electric pontoon that is 24′ 8″ in length and has 180 hp. The ultra-quiet E-Motion powertrain is powered by a standard 43 kWh marine battery pack, offering 40 nautical miles (46 miles) of all-electric range on a single charge. For added range, Vision sells a version of the electric pontoon with a second battery pack, totaling 86 kWh and delivering up to 90 nautical miles (104 miles) of range.
While the V24 offers more of a classic attempt at the pontoon boat, Vision’s additional new vessel, the all-electric V30, is a tad sportier and provides room for more passengers aboard (15). This 30′ vessel features the same E-Motion powertrain options, complete with the same two battery configurations to offer the same ranges as the V24.
However, the V30 has additional features such as 4 x 6.5″ interior speakers and cool-touch seats. Both models feature an integrated onboard charger that supports both 120- 240V (30 to 50 amps) for seamless charging, no matter the dock plug while moored.
The Vision V24 starts at $99,995 for the standard battery pack version, while the V30 starts at a higher price of $139,995. As previously mentioned, both electric pontoon boats are available to order today.
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