He Xiaopeng: L4 Autonomous Driving to Launch in 1–3 Years, Humanoid Robots Mass-Produced by Year-End

During the Two Sessions, He Xiaopeng, Chairman of XPeng Motors, stated that Level 4 (L4) autonomous driving is expected to accelerate its arrival within the next one to three years. He suggested that policy development should skip Level 3 (L3) and move directly toward L4. He revealed that XPeng’s second-generation VLA advanced driver-assistance system will be rolled out in late March, and is anticipated to significantly reshape China’s autonomous driving market landscape within the next three to six months. He also noted that developing humanoid robots is far more challenging than building cars. The company is focusing on anthropomorphic design and aims to achieve mass production of high-level humanoid robots by the end of this year, targeting applications in home, commercial, and industrial scenarios. He emphasized that not all automakers can successfully transition into robotics companies—success requires full-stack in-house capabilities in both hardware and software, as well as cross-domain integration expertise. Additionally, XPeng is building an open “Physical AI” ecosystem encompassing smart EVs, Robotaxis, flying cars, and humanoid robots, driving the intelligent economy from passive interaction toward proactive collaboration.