Xpeng commences mass production of in-house robotaxi to rival Tesla

Guangzhou-based electric vehicle maker Xpeng (NYSE:XPEV) has commenced mass production of its inaugural robotaxi model at its corporate headquarters, accelerating its strategic push into autonomous mobility.

The company announced on Monday that it aims to transition the vehicles into fully driverless operational deployment by early 2027.

The development comes as the Tesla rival steps up its investments in autonomous driving systems and humanoid robotics to counter intensifying pricing and technology competition within China's domestic auto market.

The new autonomous vehicle is constructed on Xpeng's proprietary GX platform.

According to the company, the vehicle marks China's first production-ready, pre-assembled robotaxi model designed and built entirely using full-stack, in-house technologies.

Xpeng plans to launch localized pilot robotaxi operations during the second half of this year to validate the technology and consumer adoption.

The manufacturing ramp-up aligns with projections shared last month by Xpeng President Brian Gu, who noted that the automaker will likely manufacture between hundreds and thousands of robotaxi units over the next 12 to 18 months.