Tesla is reportedly in talks with Italy for a factory
Tesla is reportedly in talks with Italy to build a factory in the country, according to the Minister for Business and Made in Italy. XPeng Motors announced a massive milestone for its XPeng navigation guided pilot (XNGP) ADAS feature that enables self-driving in several scenarios. XNGP is now available unlimitedly on all roads, everywhere in China. That’s only part of it; XPeng also shared plans to expand the self-driving tech to other markets.
XPeng Motors currently operates as one of China’s big hitters in EVs. Part of the company’s appeal is its innovation and advanced technology, including out-of-the-box ideas like genuine flying cars.
Another huge selling point the automaker has touted over the years is its Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), which it initially called navigation guided pilot, or NGP. The technology was originally only applied to highway driving scenarios before XPeng introduced extended coverage to more congested urban roads with City NGP.
Following impressive drive footage of City NGP, XPeng began piloting its next phase in self-driving – XNGP. When the ADAS feature fully launched in March 2023, XPeng heralded it as “the most advanced and capable in China.” Seeing it in action, it’s hard to disagree.
Since then, XPeng Motors has been quickly rolling out self-driving XNGP access to drivers in China, hitting five cities in June 2023, which jumped to 52 cities by late December. By January 2, 2024 XNGP was available in 243 different cities ahead of news that universal access to the ADAS could be covering all of China soon.
XPeng self-driving goes wide in China before global rollout
Per a post featuring several of its EV models either driving with XNGP activated or parked amongst a Chinese New Year celebration, XPeng Motors shared the following update about its self-driving technology in China: Unlimited XNGP, available all over the country, on any road.
XPeng EV owners who already have driving experience with NGP have already received the latest update, as the Chinese automaker will continue to roll it out to more drivers. With access to XNGP, EV owners can utilize driver assistance scenarios of varying levels on highways, city roads, local roads, and parking lots.
As you may recall from plenty of previous coverage of XPeng, it remains one of the vital Chinese automakers expanding to new markets outside of China, including Europe. As part of the announcement, XPeng also shared intentions to bring its self-driving tech to those markets. Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng previously stated that Highway NGP will become available globally in 2024, with XNGP to follow in 2025.