XPeng Skips L3, Targets L4 Autonomy Amid Tech and Regulatory Hurdles

XPeng Motors announced it will skip Level 3 (L3) autonomous driving and move directly to developing Level 4 (L4) technology. CEO He Xiaopeng stated that L3 is constrained by legal and safety regulations, making large-scale deployment difficult. Although automakers such as Voyah, Geely, and GAC have already launched L3-capable vehicles, regulatory delays continue to hinder real-world adoption. XPeng began on-road L4 testing in February. Its new model, the XPeng GX, features a vision-only solution with 3,000 TOPS of onboard computing power—surpassing the Li Auto L9. However, L4 still faces challenges, including insufficient perception capabilities in extreme weather and heavy reliance on vehicle-road-cloud coordination. Additionally, the originally scheduled VLA 2.0 technology has been delayed due to technical complexity. Industry experts argue that L3 and L4 technologies are inherently part of the same evolutionary path, and bypassing L3 raises engineering concerns. Many automakers are currently allocating resources based on strategic bets ahead of clearer regulatory guidance. For consumers, the widespread adoption of advanced autonomous driving may diminish the joy of driving.