XPeng Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng completed the first ride in the company’s robotaxi closed beta test. He described the hailing and boarding process as seamless. This milestone integrates online ride-hailing with offline autonomous driving for the first time.
The company established a dedicated robotaxi business unit in March to accelerate commercialization. XPeng plans to launch pilot operations during the second half of the year.
XPeng’s U.S.-listed shares declined in premarket trading despite the announcement. Other Chinese EV makers also fell amid broader concerns regarding slowing retail demand in China’s new energy vehicle market.