The Chinese electric vehicle maker started closed testing of its robotaxi platform just eight months after unveiling the project at its 2025 AI Day.
- Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng became the first internal passenger to complete a full ride, the company said.
- XPeng frames the robotaxi as a major milestone in moving beyond smart electric vehicles to autonomous “robotic vehicles” powered by Physical AI.
- The company aims to complete trial operations and begin regular demonstration services in 2026, starting with Guangzhou as a model city.
Shares of XPeng (XPEV) jumped 1.5% on Friday after the company announced that it had begun employee testing of its robotaxi service in Guangzhou.
Internal Testing Underway
The Chinese electric vehicle maker started closed testing of its robotaxi platform just eight months after unveiling the project at its 2025 AI Day. Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng became the first internal passenger to complete a full ride — from ordering the trip through an app to being picked up and dropped off autonomously — the company said.
The successful test connected the entire service chain, from ride request and dispatch to passenger transport and trip completion, it noted.
Key Step Toward Physical AI
XPeng frames the robotaxi as a major milestone in moving beyond smart electric vehicles to autonomous “robotic vehicles” powered by Physical AI. This refers to AI systems that can perceive their surroundings, make decisions, and operate independently in the real world.
He Xiaopeng said in a post on X, “I believe the next decade is about cars and robots merging into one. A car, at its core, is a four-wheeled AI robot. The mobility space of the future will think, remember, and talk to you naturally.”
2026 Commercialization Plans
The company aims to complete trial operations and begin regular demonstration services in 2026, starting with Guangzhou as a model city. It is exploring partnerships across Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
Rather than operating ride-hailing fleets itself, XPeng plans to act as a technology supplier, providing its autonomous driving software and hardware to local partners.
XPeng has often been said to be following American EV giant Tesla’s playbook with its efforts into humanoid robots and robotaxis. But Tesla, unlike XPeng, is looking to operate its own robotaxi fleet.
How Did XPEV Retail Traders React?
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around XPEV stock stayed within the ‘bearish’ territory over the past 24 hours, while message volume stayed at ‘low’ levels.
A Stocktwits user said that XPeng’s humanoid robot will cost way more than Tesla’s own Optimus humanoid robot once ready.
Another highlighted the difference between Tesla and Xpeng’s approaches to physical AI development.
XPEV stock has fallen 35% year-to-date.
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