Chinese electric vehicle startup Xpeng Inc (小鵬) unveiled details of new products and features, including an assisted driving system, a faster charging infrastructure and a flying car, as it signaled its intent to expand from its auto-manufacturing roots.
The Guangzhou-based company also launched the prototype of a rideable robot horse at its so-called “Tech Day.” Xpeng said 60 percent of its users have paid for the assisted-driving feature, called the navigation-guided pilot function, which is being used on highways.
“Our exploration of more efficient, safer, carbon-neutral mobility solutions goes far beyond just smart EVs, and is the cornerstone of our long-term competitive advantages,” chairman He Xiaopeng (何小鵬) said yesterday.
He added that the new energy vehicle penetration rate should reach 50 percent by 2025.
An upgraded version of Xpeng’s assisted-driving feature known as XPILOT 3.5 is to navigate drivers in cities next year, said Wu Xinzhou (吳新宙), vice president of Xpeng’s autonomous driving unit, although an actual rollout depends on the product’s development and local regulations. The company also plans to partner with others to explore robo-taxi operations that would also start next year.
An advanced point-to-point driver assistance program known as XPILOT 4.0 is planned for rollout in the first half of 2023, and is to be equipped on Xpeng’s electric sports utility vehicle.
Xpeng also presented a road map for its comprehensive charging network, which includes a mass-produced silicon carbide high-voltage fast charging platform and a geographically expanded charging facility deployment.
The company also showed designs for a low-altitude flying car developed by its affiliate HT Aero (小鵬匯天), which raised more than US$500 million and is expected to start mass production in 2024.
The prototype of a robot horse, equipped with bionic senses and multi-mode recognition technologies, is also part of Xpeng’s product lineup.
The domestic unit of the Chinese-owned, Dutch-headquartered chipmaker Nexperia BV will soon be able to produce semiconductors locally within China, according to two company sources. Nexperia is at the center of a global tug-of-war over critical semiconductor technology, with a Dutch court in February ordering a probe into alleged mismanagement at the company. The geopolitical tussle has disrupted supply chains, with some carmakers reportedly forced to cut production due to chip shortages. Local production would allow Nexperia’s domestic arm, Nexperia Semiconductors (China) Ltd (安世半導體中國), to bypass restrictions in place since October on the supply of silicon wafers — etched with tiny components to
Singapore-based ride-hailing and delivery giant Grab Holdings Ltd has applied for regulatory approval to acquire the Taiwan operations of Germany-based Delivery Hero SE's Foodpanda in a deal valued at about US$600 million. Grab submitted the filing to the Fair Trade Commission on Friday last week, with the transaction subject to regulatory review and approval, the company said in a statement yesterday. Its independent governance structure would help foster a healthy and competitive market in Taiwan if the deal is approved, Grab said. Grab, which is listed on the NASDAQ, said in the filing that US-based Uber Technologies Inc holds about 13 percent of
Taiwan is open to joining a global liquefied natural gas (LNG) program if one is created, but on the condition that countries provide delivery even in a scenario where there is a conflict with China, an energy department official said yesterday. While Taiwan’s priority is to have enough LNG at home, the nation is open to exploring potential strategic reserves in other countries such as Japan or South Korea, Energy Administration Deputy Director-General Chen Chung-hsien (陳崇憲) said. While the LNG market does not have a global reserve for emergencies like that of oil, the concept has been raised a few times —
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday received government approval to deploy its advanced 3-nanometer (3nm) process at its second fab currently under construction in Japan, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a news release. The ministry green-lit the plan for the facility in Kumamoto, which is scheduled to start installing equipment and come online in 2028 with a monthly production capacity of 15,000 12-inch wafers, the ministry said. The Department of Investment Review in June 2024 authorized a US$5.26 billion investment for the facility, slated to manufacture 6- to 12nm chips, significantly less advanced than 3nm process. At a meeting with
RSS