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Chinese electric vehicle (EV) start-up Xpeng has launched an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) that is similar to Tesla's full self-driving (FSD) software, enabling its cars to navigate their way automatically on city streets.
The carmaker backed by e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding, the owner of this newspaper, said on Friday that the X NGP (navigation guided pilot) software can now be used in the G9 Max and P7i Max models in Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Shanghai.
Xpeng claims the semi-autonomous driving system to be China's first ADAS for use in city driving environment. Cars fitted with the system are capable of recognising traffic lights at an intersection, conducting full lane changing, overtaking and turning left or right automatically.
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"We are truly proud of making the leap forward by significantly enriching driving experience using the latest technology iterations," said Wu Xinzhou, vice-president and head of autonomous driving centre at Xpeng. "We are continuously pushing the envelope to further enhance the safety of our customers."
Drivers of the Xpeng's G9 Max (above) and the P7i Max can use the navigation guided pilot system in Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Shanghai. Photo: Handout alt=Drivers of the Xpeng's G9 Max (above) and the P7i Max can use the navigation guided pilot system in Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Shanghai. Photo: Handout>
Owners of G9 Max and P7i Max can access the technology through over-the-air (OTA) software updates, free of charge.
Xpeng said use of the X NGP software will be expanded to other cities in the second half of this year.
The Guangzhou-based company said the NGP for city use can be about 90 per cent as efficient as a human driver, and an updated ADAS featuring "from start to park" all-scenario autonomous driving will be rolled out in 2024.
Typically, a driver assistance system uses algorithms to analyse traffic data collected in real time by on-board sensors. The sensors help the vehicle decide whether to pass a slow-moving car, but it still requires human intervention.
Xpeng's NGP and Tesla's FSD still require active driver supervision and have yet to make the vehicles fully autonomous. Tesla's FSD has not been approved for use in China.
In March 2021, a fleet of Xpeng P7 cars completed a 3,675-kilometre autonomous driving test on highways from Guangzhou to Beijing. The frequency of human intervention was 0.7 times per 100km.