Chinese automaker Xpeng Inc. (NYSE:XPEV) has reportedly received a major boost in its Robotaxi ambitions as Chinese authorities greenlight autonomous driving testing.
Xpeng Receives Level 3 Testing Permit
Authorities have granted the company a permit to conduct testing operations for Level 3 autonomous vehicles, Chinese local media outlet Yicai reported on Tuesday. The company has received the permit to conduct testing operations in the city of Guangzhou.
Xpeng didn't immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comment.
Two Chinese Automakers Also Receive Permits
The news comes as China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) granted conditional permits to two Chinese automakers to carry out level 3 autonomous driving testing in Chongqing and Beijing. The automakers include state-owned Changan Automobile and BAIC's Arcfox.
Xpeng's Robotaxi, Humanoid Robot Push
Xpeng CEO and co-founder He Xiaopeng outlined during the company's third-quarter earnings call with investors and analysts that it was targeting a launch of 3 Robotaxi models in 2026.
Xpeng also said that it will “open source its VLA [Vision-Language-Action autonomous driving system] 2.0 model to global commercial partners" and also kick off production for the IRON humanoid robot, a rival to Tesla Inc.'s (NASDAQ:TSLA) Optimus.
China's Autonomous Push
Baidu Inc.'s (NASDAQ:BIDU) Apollo Go recently crossed the 250,000 weekly Robotaxi rides milestone. The company also said its autonomous tech had amassed 140 million driverless miles.
Meanwhile, Chinese robotaxi company WeRide Inc. (NASDAQ:WRD) partnered up with Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE:UBER) to offer Robotaxi rides in Dubai’s Umm Suqeim and Jumeirah, two major tourist districts within the Emirate.
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