X-Peng EV shows off new AI-powered autonomous driving powers, but it’s still a long way to hands-free driving
XPeng Motors has just lifted the lid on its latest family-oriented electric sedan in the form of the P7+, which has racked up more than 30,000 pre-orders in less than two hours of its unveiling, according to the publication. CNEV post.
The electric vehicle offers a range of no less than 700 kilometers on a single battery charge and a peak power of 308 hp. Car news Chinawhile the interior features a 15.6-inch infotainment system powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295P chip and an 8-inch screen at the rear.
So far this applies to Tesla, but Xpeng Motors says it’s the ‘AI-defined’ nature of its latest EV offering that sets it apart from the competition. The latest autonomous driving system is called AI Hawkeye Visual Solution and is designed to see further, respond faster to danger and improve accuracy in poor weather and low light.
The company says the P7+ integrates advanced AI technology into the chassis, powertrain, propulsion system, smart cockpit and the aforementioned autonomous safety systems, although details remain scarce.
We do know that the P7+ is equipped with two 8M cameras, one on the front and one on the back, with millimeter wave radars and ultrasonic radars supporting the visual feed. The Chinese company says this high-definition camera solution eliminates expensive Lidar systems and the need for HD map coverage. A lot of Tesla thinking also plays a role here.
Apparently, the AI ââHawkeye Visual Solution means that the vehicle has a sense of time and space and recognizes different road signs and traffic signal systems in different cities, ensuring functionality in various urban environments.
In addition, AI plays a major role in the overall infotainment offering, where the system can adapt based on user behavior and even change preferences based on the journey, time of day and other criteria.
According to XPeng, this is all made possible by the company’s in-house developed ‘Turing Chip’, which will provide the basic computing power for future EVs, robots and even eVTOL craft.
Analysis: Autonomous driving needs more than AI
XPeng is already demonstrating advanced levels of autonomous driving in its domestic market, China, but the company’s chairman, Xiaopeng He, said he was committed to expanding the brand’s global presence, including launching more models in Europe in the coming months.
XPeng aims to compete directly with Tesla and wants to âcapture a larger share of the âŹ40,000 (approximately $52,000 / AU$78,000) and above segment,â with a long-term plan to capture half of its annual sales from overseas customers.
However, there is still a major question mark over the capabilities of the company’s AI-powered advanced driver assistance system, with many leading figures in autonomous driving claiming that Lidar and high-definition mapping are essential for safe operation.
Tesla is still busy convincing lawmakers that its camera system is good enough to warrant the name Unsupervised Full Self-Driving in the US, while Europe is generally taking an extremely cautious approach, with only BMW and Mercedes-Benz SAE Level 3 is of paramount importance. automated driving under extremely controlled conditions.
Moreover, the P7+ from XPeng is a huge car. At over five meters long, this is equivalent to owning a commercial vehicle, which could be a problem on many of Europe’s extremely tight roads.
Because details are so scarce at launch, XPeng won’t convince potential owners or lawmakers alike that its AI Hawkeye Visual Solution is the silver bullet self-driving vehicles need to achieve commercial success.