XPeng 2024 Tech Day: AI chips, L4 autonomy, eVTOLs, humanoid robots, and… range extenders?
XPeng Motors celebrated its annual Tech Day event in China earlier today, which was renamed “AI Day” for good reason. The topic of artificial intelligence dominated the Chinese mobility company’s incoming technologies, which were abundant. We got updates on a new in-house AI computing chip, a new Xpeng platform to support Level 4 autonomous robotaxis, flying cars, and eVTOLs, a new humanoid robot called “Iron,” complete with an existential launch video, and a surprising adoption of combustion-powered extenders that deliver up to 970 miles of additional range.
Today marked XPeng Motor’s sixth consecutive Tech Day event – something we look forward to each fall as it is sure to be filled with exciting updates and debuts from a mobility company that continues to expand and dabble in a little bit of everything, not just passenger EVs.
Last year, we saw the debut of XPeng’s X9 MPV, a humanoid robot called the PX5, and plenty of AI-centric software upgrades. Since then, we’ve seen the X9 officially launch in China along with a rollout of OTA updates to XPeng’s operating systems, including its XNGP ADAS.
This past April, during the Beijing Auto Show, XPeng gave the public a preview of some of the technologies explained further during today’s Tech Day event. That included AI-centric chips, Level 4 autonomous robotaxis plans, and a new neural network called “XNet.” We also saw some fresh updates, including a new humanoid robot, an eVTOL, and a new gas range extender that could deliver some of the farthest-driving vehicles in the world. Let’s dig in.
XPeng shares flying car update during Tech Day 2024
There’s a lot to unfold here, but we’ll start with a mainstay in XPeng news, flying cars through its air mobility entity, AeroHT. Today’s talks were led by the “Land Aircraft Carrier” – an eVTOL/vehicle combo that debuted last year.
As we previously reported, the revolutionary land and air vehicle is slotted for scaled production in 2026, and AeroHT recently broke ground on the facility in China that will build them. There is not much of an update here. Still, XPeng founder and chairman He Xiaopeng reiterated that the Land Air Carrier will showcase its first public flight demonstration later this month before pre-orders open in December.
In September, AeroHT founder and president Zhao Deli said the modular eVTOL/van combo would be priced at no more than RMB 2 million ($279,200).
In addition to its modular Land Air Carrier and eventual plans for a bonafide flying BEV with propellers on its roof, Xiaopeng shared that AeroHT is also developing a dedicated full tilt-rotor eVTOL featuring six seats and hybrid power. The aerial vessel will have a maximum range of 500+ km (311 miles) and reach a top speed of 360 km/h (224 mph).
These flying cars and eVTOLs will be powered by a new AI “Turing” chip developed in-house by XPeng.
In-house AI chips and a new platform
XPeng renamed its Tech Day event “AI Day” this year for a reason. Artificial intelligence was at the forefront of most of He Xiaopeng’s conversations on stage, and the debut of the mobility company’s new Turing chip was also a part of the event.
The company showcased a new Turing AI Intelligent Driving System, powered by XPeng’s proprietary Turing AI chip, described as “a world-first chip designed for AI vehicles, robots, and flying cars.” The new chip features a 40-core processor and supports models with up to 30 billion parameters, delivering the power of three high-performance chips in one.
Xiaopeng explained that the Turin chip has already completed over 2,700 functional verifications in a mere 40 days and has achieved three times the industry standard for development efficiency during that time.
In addition to powering XPeng’s flying cars and humanoid robots (more on that below), Xiaopeng used the 2024 Tech Day event to unveil a new Canghai Platform that will enable full Level 4 autonomous driving. XPeng has already been promising fully autonomous robotaxis by 2025, and we now have a better idea of the technology that will support that, again, centered around its new Turing AI chip.
The company explained that the new platform would act as the previously teased neural network for XPeng’s new line of AI-centric vehicles, supporting driving (with or without a human in the driver’s seat) with enhanced safety features, 33x bandwidth, and 12x faster camera image processing, thus creating “a foundation for full-scenario AI-enabled driving experiences.”
The “Hawkeye” pure vision ADAS system can see the world around it at 720 degrees without blind spots. Per XPeng during Tech Day:
XPeng’s Turing AI system marks a pivotal step toward L4 autonomy, with continual model updates from cloud-based models, ensuring a highly responsive, ever-evolving smart driving experience.
In addition to autonomous robotaxis, XPeng’s Turing AI chip will power a new humanoid robot called “Iron” which made its official debut at Tech Day.
XPeng introduces a new humanoid robot called “Iron”
One of the stars of today’s event was Iron, a serious upgrade to the robots XPeng has debuted at Tech Days in the past. With today’s debut, XPeng becomes the latest tech company developing and implementing impressive robot technology that could one day take over full assembly of its vehicles.
Per XPeng, the Turing AI chip enables the Iron bots to think and remember like humans (spooky) and also enables its hands and feet to move autonomously. The robot’s hands also use a 1:1 human hand size, with 15 degrees of freedom.
The debut included an interesting video in which Iron steps into a room and admires famous sculptures like Rodin’s “The Thinker” and “Discobolus” by Myron. Iron even copies the Discobolus pose, as seen in XPeng’s video below:
XPeng’s Tech Day event includes a new gas range extender
Perhaps the biggest surprise from XPeng’s 2024 Tech Day was the news that it is shifting its business strategy from all-BEV to include some combustion with a new gas-powered range extender.
On the stage in Guangzhou earlier today, He Xiaopeng unveiled XPeng’s Kunpeng Super Electric System. Xiaopeng says this next-generation solution “brings together XPeng’s advancements in latest AI-defined mobility innovations to deliver an unparalleled charging and range experience.”
The system consists of an 800V platform powered by XPeng’s battery technology, which supports 5C fast charging and can charge from 10% to 80% in 12 minutes. New to the party is a hybrid silicon carbide coaxial electric drive, which, according to XPeng, will offer industry-leading efficiency and reliability. The range extender is also extra quiet, outputting noise levels as low as 1 dB.
The automaker has also once again integrated AI into the power optimization system, which enables a seamless transition between pure electric and range-extended driving modes. As you can see from the Tech Day image above, XPeng’s new system offers 430 km (267 miles) of all-electric range and a combined range of over 1,400 km (870 miles).
That’s a lot to take in, but it’s all for now. Check back with Electrek soon as we await the official launch of XPeng’s next BEV model, the P7+. In the meantime, you can watch the full 2024 Tech Day presentation on XPeng’s Weibo page.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Mazda calls it a “dream car.” The EZ-60 is about the size of a Tesla Model Y, and it will be sold globally. After racking up over 20,000 pre-orders in just over two weeks, Mazda’s new electric SUV is now arriving at dealerships across China.
Mazda’s EZ-60 electric SUV reaches dealerships in China
The EZ-60 is Mazda’s first electric SUV from its joint venture with Changan Auto. Following the EZ-6, it’s the second dedicated Mazda EV to land in China.
After its debut on April 23, Changan Mazda announced that the EZ-60 had secured over 10,000 pre-orders in 24 hours, a new record for joint-venture electric SUVs. With the current tally at over 20,000, Mazda’s new electric SUV is now arriving at dealerships across China.
The EZ-60 is based on Changan’s hybrid platform and uses a CATL LFP battery for a CLTC range of up to 600 km (372 miles). It’s also available with a 1.5L gasoline engine, providing a combined range of over 1,300 km.
To keep pace in China’s competitive EV market, Mazda’s electric SUV is specifically designed for Chinese buyers.
It includes “a number of world-first technologies,” including a 100″ naked-eye 3D head-up display (HUD), voice recognition, and advanced safety systems.
Mazda’s new EZ-60 electric SUV is about the same size as a Tesla Model Y, measuring 4,850 mm in length, 1,935 mm in width, and 1,620 mm in height.
To lure potential buyers, Mazda launched a deposit program this week. With an initial 10 yuan deposit, buyers can grow their account by 10 yuan every day with an “expansion code.”
Test drives are expected to be available in July, with the first customer deliveries set to follow in August. Like the EZ-6 sedan, Mazda’s electric SUV will be sold in several global markets, including Europe, starting next year. It will launch under the name CX-6e.
In Europe, the electric sedan is called the Mazda 6e. It will be available in two battery packs: 68.8 kWh or 80 kWh, offering a WLTP driving range of 479 km (300 miles) and 552 km (343 miles), respectively.
More info, including final specs and prices for the global version, will be revealed closer to launch. Check back soon for the latest.
Source: CarNewsChina, Changan Mazda
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Environment
Trump will hold a rally at U.S. Steel as investors seek clarity on Nippon deal. Here’s what we know
President Donald Trump will hold a rally Friday at a U.S. Steel plant near Pittsburgh, a week after signaling that he had cleared a controversial merger with Japan’s Nippon Steel.
Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks at 5 p.m. ET at U.S. Steel’s Irvin Works in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, according to the White House. Investors and union members will listen for answers from the president on what shape the deal he announced between U.S. Steel and Nippon will take.
Trump described the deal as a “partnership” in a May 23 post on his social media platform Truth Social. The president said U.S. Steel’s headquarters would remain in Pittsburgh and Nippon would invest $14 billion over 14 months in the more than 120-year-old American industrial icon.
Trump told reporters on Sunday that the deal is an “investment, it’s a partial ownership, but it will be controlled by the USA.” But the White House and the companies have provided little detail to the public on how the deal is structured since Trump’s announcement.
U.S. Steel has described the deal as a “merger” in which it will become a “wholly owned subsidiary” of Nippon Steel North America but continue to operate as separate company, according to an April 8 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Sources familiar with the matter told CNBC’s David Faber that Nippon is expected to close its acquisition of U.S. Steel at $55 per share, the original offer the Japanese steelmaker made before President Joe Biden rejected the deal in January. Biden blocked Nippon’s proposed acquisition on national security grounds, arguing that it would jeopardize critical supply chains.
But Trump ordered a new review of the deal in April, softening his previous opposition to Nippon buying U.S. Steel. The president announced the “partnership” one day after the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States was supposed to conclude its review and make a recommendation on whether the companies had found ways to “mitigate any national security risks.”
‘National security agreement’
Pennsylvania Sen. Dave McCormick told CNBC on Tuesday that the U.S. government will have a “golden share” that will allow it to decide on a number of board seats. U.S. Steel will have an American CEO and a majority of the board will come from the U.S. McCormick said.
“It’s a national security agreement that will be signed with the U.S. government,” McCormick told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “There’ll be a golden share that will essentially require U.S. government approval of a number of the board members and that will allow the United States to ensure production levels aren’t cut.”
Nippon will “have certainly members of the board and this will be part of their overall corporate structure,” McCormick told CNBC. White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro told reporters Thursday that “Nippon Steel is going to have some involvement, but no control of the company.”
“U.S. Steel owns the company,” Navarro said. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CNBC on Friday that the details of the Nippon Steel deal “remain confidential, relatively.”
“The underlying principle is that the United States should have control over key critical sectors, whether it’s basic manufacturing or high tech,” Greer told “Squawk Box.” “In the event that foreign countries or foreign individuals or firms want to acquire these companies or have large investments, the U.S. has to maintain control of things that matter.”
The United Steelworkers, which originally opposed the deal, has said the union “cannot speculate about the impact” of Trump’s announcement “without more information.”
“Our concern remains that Nippon, a foreign corporation with a long and proven track record of violating our trade laws, will further erode domestic steelmaking capacity and jeopardize thousands of good, union jobs,” USW President David McCall said in a statement.
Environment
Hyundai’s first three-row electric SUV is here as IONIQ 9 deliveries kick off across the US
Hyundai handed over one of the first IONIQ 9 models to customers in the US on Friday, marking the start of deliveries for its new three-row electric SUV.
Hyundai IONIQ 9 deliveries are now underway in the US
Just over two months after the first models rolled off the assembly line at Hyundai’s new EV plant in Georgia in March, deliveries are now underway.
Hyundai delivered one of the first IONIQ 9 models to customers in Georgia. The owners, Jennifer and Dwayne Maynard, traded in their IONIQ 5 for the larger electric SUV.
“We loved our IONIQ 5, but the IONIQ 9 offers everything we need and more for our family and our adventures,” Jennifer Maynard explained.
With up to 2,472 liters (87 cubic feet), Hyundai’s three-row SUV boasts more interior cargo space than a Ford Explorer (2,492 liters).
To showcase the spaciousness of the IONIQ 9, Hyundai launched a new marketing campaign, “Space to Connect,” earlier this month, offering a glimpse inside the seven-seat family hauler.
Not only does the SUV have “class-leading” interior space, but it’s also loaded with Hyundai’s latest tech and software.
The interior features a panoramic curved display with over 24″ of screen space, including dual 12.3″ driver display and infotainment screens.
Hyundai announced that 2026 IONIQ 9 prices start at just over $60,500, including a $1,600 destination fee. That’s for the base RWD model, which has a range of up to 335 miles. The AWD trim, with 303 horsepower and 320 miles range, starts at under $65,000.
Like the upgraded 2025 IONIQ 5, Hyundai’s three-row electric SUV features a built-in NACS port, allowing you to access Tesla’s Supercharger network. Using a 350 kW DC fast charger, the IONIQ 9 can recharge from 10% to 80% in about 24 minutes.
While it’s still available, the IONIQ 9 qualifies for the $7,500 federal tax credit, which could lower prices to as low as $53,055.
| 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 Model | EV Powertrain | Drivetrain | Driving Range (miles) |
Starting Price (including destination fee) |
| IONIQ 9 RWD S | 160-kW (215-HP) Electric Motor |
Rear- Wheel Drive |
335 | $60,555 |
| IONIQ 9 AWD SE | 226.1 kW (303-HP) Dual Electric Motors |
All-Wheel Drive |
320 | $64,365 |
| IONIQ 9 AWD SEL | 226.1-kW (303-HP) Dual Electric Motors |
All-Wheel Drive |
320 | $67,920 |
| IONIQ 9 AWD PERFORMANCE LIMITED |
314.6-kW (422-HP) Dual Electric Motors |
All-Wheel Drive |
311 | $72,850 |
| IONIQ 9 AWD PERFORMANCE CALLIGRAPHY |
314.6-kW (422-HP) Dual Electric Motors |
All-Wheel Drive |
311 | $76,590 |
| IONIQ 9 AWD PERFORMANCE CALLIGRAPHY DESIGN |
314.6-kW (422-HP) Dual Electric Motors |
All-Wheel Drive |
311 | $78,090 |
With deliveries now underway, there are a few deals that are worth checking out. Hyundai is offering a $5,000 cash bonus on all IONIQ 9 trims. With the $7,500 credit, you can snag up to $12,500 in upfront savings
Leases start as low as $419 for 36 months, which is even more affordable than a Toyota Highlander XLE Hybrid right now. If you’re looking for something smaller, the 2025 IONIQ 5 is available with leases starting at $209 per month.
Until June 2, Hyundai will give you a free ChargePoint Level 2 charger with the purchase or lease of a 2026 IONIQ 9 or 2025 IONIQ 5. Earlier today, we learned that Hyundai could raise vehicle prices as soon as next week.
Ready to check out Hyundai’s electric SUVs for yourself? We’re here to help. You can use our links below to find deals on the Hyundai IONIQ 9 and IONIQ 5 in your area.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business3 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway