SINGAPORE: Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng plans to begin testing robotaxis in selected overseas cities next year, as it takes its autonomous driving technology beyond China, vice-chairman and president Brian Gu said.
Robotaxis could become a more common sight on roads in the next two to three years as commercial deployment expands, he added.
“Starting next year, we hope to launch pilot testing in select global cities,” Gu told CNA on the sidelines of the Milken Institute Asia Summit in Singapore.
“Robotaxis are not that far from everyday life. As soon as probably two to three years later, you could see larger-scale commercial deployment around the world.”
Guess WordCrack the word, one row at a timeBuzzwordCreate words using the given lettersMini SudokuTiny puzzle, mighty brain teaserMini CrosswordSmall grid, big challengeWord SearchSpot as many words as you can Show More Show LessHe did not reveal which cities are being considered.
Xpeng is currently testing its Yoyo robotaxi in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, with close to 100 vehicles involved in the pilot.
Gu said there has been “tremendous development” in autonomous driving capabilities in recent years, adding that Xpeng's driver-assistance systems were used for nearly 60 per cent of the distance travelled by its vehicles.
But fully autonomous robotaxis would need to meet a higher bar, including being able to safely handle complex and unexpected situations without a human driver, he noted.