Xpeng to hold tech event on Jul 30, XNGP to see biggest update ever

Xpeng will hold a technology event on Jul 30 where it is expected to unveil a major update to its XNGP (Xpeng navigation guided pilot) assisted driving feature.

The Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker announced on Weibo that it will hold an event for its AI smart driving technology on Jul 30, which will begin at 7:30 pm Beijing time.

Xpeng's XNGP is about to receive its biggest update ever, and the latest Tianji system, XOS 5.2.0, will also see a new breakthrough, the company said.

"This will be both a milestone and a new beginning," it wrote on Weibo.

XNGP is Xpeng's Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), similar to Tesla's FSD (Full Self-Driving).

The feature was initially available only on highways, then known as Highway NGP, and Xpeng then gradually expanded its coverage to urban areas, known as City NGP. Xpeng currently refers to its ADAS features collectively as XNGP.

The company unveiled its new in-vehicle system, called Tianji, at its AI Day event on May 20, saying it was the industry's first operating system to fully utilize AI technology for smart cockpit and smart driving.

Xpeng's latest software will bring the unlimited XNGP functionality to all roads, though will only be available for the Max variant cars in the Chinese mainland.

The company would host a technology event belonging to explorers on Jul 30, Xpeng said on Jul 22.

He Xiaopeng, chairman and CEO of Xpeng, mentioned his thoughts on smart driving technology when he shared a poster about the upcoming tech launch on Weibo.

"Recently I've been talking to a couple of L4 tech area heads about end-to-end tech, and they all think it's the best route for L2 or L3 (smart driving), but certainly not the preferred option for L4. But I do really think that end-to-end plus large models will ultimately enable L4,” said Mr. He.

Regarding Robotaxi, Tesla wants to build such vehicles and operate them itself, while Xpeng has different thinking, he said.

"Xpeng will launch a very competitive Robotaxi in 2026 at a set pace, but we won't get involved in the operation and will drive this change with our partners," he said.

More information will be shared at the Xpeng AI smart driving technology event today and 1024 Tech Day later this year, said Mr. He.