Xpeng Vice Chairman and Co-President Brian Gu recently made a statement at a mall in Beijing, where the company showcased its G9 model. In his remarks, Gu expressed that self-driving taxis are not expected to become a significant business for at least the next five years. This prediction differs from Elon Musk’s vision of Tesla developing artificial intelligence software for a robotaxi network.
Despite the promising future of robotaxis, Gu believes that establishing a full-fledged commercial operation will take longer than anticipated. He stated that Xpeng is not currently planning to launch this service. The company, known for its electric cars, has positioned itself as a leader in driver-assist technology in the market.
Gu emphasized the importance of extensive testing before implementing any autonomous driving services. He noted that other Chinese tech companies like Baidu and Pony.ai have received approval in certain areas of China to operate fully driverless taxis and charge fares. This includes locations in Beijing and Wuhan, which are seen as hubs for testing new technologies in the autonomous driving sector.
While some may see this as a setback for the future of self-driving taxis, Gu’s comments provide valuable insight into the challenges involved in establishing such services on a large scale. It’s clear that extensive testing and regulatory hurdles are just some of the factors that need to be considered before we can expect to see widespread adoption of robotaxis.
Overall, while Xpeng may not be planning to launch self-driving taxi services anytime soon, their position as leaders in driver-assist technology makes them well-positioned to contribute to the development of this emerging field in China and beyond.