Electric carmaker Xpeng to release autonomous features for highway
Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng is set to release autonomous features for its driving system in its quest to ramp up pressure on rivals including market leader Tesla.
According to CNBC, the new driving feature, called Navigation Guided Pilot or NGP, allows the company’s flagship P7 sedan to automatically change lanes, control speed, overtake cars and enter and exit highways.
Drivers will still need to keep their hands on the wheel while using autonomous driving features. The users will get a warning from the car when manual control is needed in the case of roadworks or bad weather conditions.
The Xpeng XPILOT 3.0 driving system is a direct challenge to Tesla’s autonomous driving system called Autopilot. The company expects to launch it in the first quarter of this year.
The new feature will only be available in China for the time being.
Xpeng will also have to face local rivals such as Nio and Li Auto to acquire a bigger part in the country’s growing market.
Mass deliveries of Xpeng’s P7 sedan began last June and the company delivered a total of 27,041 vehicles in 2020. It has doubled its sales in one year.