U.S.-listed XPeng shares edge higher as EV group eyes 2026 robotaxi launch

Investing.com - U.S.-listed shares of XPeng (NYSE:XPEV) inched higher in premarket U.S. trading on Wednesday, after the Chinese electric car name said it would partner with the digital mapping unit of e-commerce giant Alibaba to launch a new robotaxi service.

In a statement from Amap, the Alibaba division and a peer to Alphabet’s Google Maps offering, XPeng’s driverless vehicles will be integrated into its mapping platform.

XPeng, which previously said that it would introduce three self-developed robotaxi versions and begin trials of them next year, added that it would work with Amap to build out a global service network for the automated taxis. No timetable was given.

If successful, XPeng would be the first Chinese EV manufacturer to launch a self-developed robotaxi, or one made without relying on software or hardware from traditional sources like driving-technology developers or automakers. This would also differentiate XPeng from Chinese rivals such as WeRide, Pony AI and Baidu’s Apollo Go, which have all teamed up with carmakers to produce driverless vehicles.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Vice Chairman Brian Hongdi Gu said that, should all go according to plan, XPeng would start to operate the robotaxis as soon as 2026. Although the service is anticipated to be mostly in China, it may grow to international markets, Gu told the WSJ.

Gu added that Nasdaq-listed XPeng will be looking to integrate both hardware and software capabilities, arguing that this is a key step to robotaxis becoming more widely available in commercial markets. A firm that specializes in just one of these areas will be unable to produce robotaxis at a mass scale, Gu said.

XPeng will utilize its in-house "Turing" chips in its robotaxis, the WSJ reported. These processors have higher computing power than others on the market and are cheaper than Nvidia’s chips for autonomous-driving technology, Gu told the paper. Most Chinese robotaxi players use Nvidia chips, according to the WSJ.

(Reuters contributed reporting.)

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