Volkswagen Becomes First Customer for XPeng’s Gen 2 VLA; "DeepSeek Moment" for Smart Driving Approaches

On February 26, He Xiaopeng, Chairman of XPeng Motors, announced that Volkswagen will become the launch customer for XPeng’s second-generation VLA (Vision-Language-Action) large model. The new model will make its official debut at 14:00 on March 2 during the “THE FUTURE” Media Experience Day at XPeng Tech Park in Guangzhou. It will simultaneously be integrated into the 2026 XPeng X9 EV—the world’s longest-range 5C pure-electric seven-seater SUV. The second-generation VLA features “in-brain reasoning” capabilities, enabling intelligent decision-making tailored to varying road conditions and supporting the “Narrow Road NGP” function, which increases the average hands-off distance on complex narrow roads by 13 times. The new model can also recognize pedestrian hand gestures—allowing vehicles to stop upon a wave—and understand traffic light logic, gently accelerating in anticipation of a green light just before it changes. Additionally, XPeng’s self-developed Turing AI chip has secured a定点 (nomination/award) from Volkswagen. He Xiaopeng stated that March 2 will mark the “DeepSeek Moment” in the field of intelligent driving.