XPeng self-driving confirmed for Australia

XPENG will roll out its VLA 2.0 supervised self-driving technology to Australia in 2027, with the Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturer confirming that local drivers will be among the first outside China to gain access to the system, which will rival Tesla’s FSD.

The Guangzhou-based firm calls itself a technology company that only happens to make cars and says that VLA 2.0 (short to Vision-Language Action) will form a central pillar of its Australia brand relaunch as it moves to a factory-backed structure and embarks on a major product offensive.

Head of international markets Alex Tang said that Australia would be included in the first stage of the VLA 2.0 export-market rollout, subject to local regulatory requirements.

“What I can see is 2027 will be the first year that we roll out VLA 2.0 into the global market,” he said.

“So that will consider as the first year, and for Australia, of course, it will be the first batch of the markets that we are trying to implement … it depends on the regulations.”

XPeng says that VLA 2.0 differs from conventional ADAS systems because it does not rely on a traditional rules-based logic stack.

Instead, it uses a large AI model that interprets visual information, language-based context, and intended vehicle action through an end-to-end system.

But not all XPeng models are capable of VLA 2.0, which requires enormous computing power unlocked by a triple-set of the company’s new-generation Turing AI chips working together.

International marketing lead Daniel Wu said XPeng was working on a smaller model capable of running on one Turing chip but cautioned that this more affordable version was not yet guaranteed for overseas markets.

VLA 2.0 has been trained using real-world Chinese driving data as well as simulation-generated data intended to help generalise the system for other markets, including Australia, but no physical testing has been done on our shores as yet.

Crucially, for Australian pricing and ownership-cost positioning, XPeng says it does not intend to charge a subscription for use of its assisted-driving system where the required hardware is fitted.

“We don’t do the subscription to charge for the ADAS,” said Mr Wu.

“If you buy hardware, we offer the service.”

GoAuto had its first experience of VLA 2.0 on Guangzhou’s heavily congested city streets and urban highways in a P7 test car.

The P7, a battery electric sports sedan under consideration for Australia, is fitted with the requisite triple-Turing AI chipset, and VLA can be switched on or off via a steering wheel dial.

Overall, the system dealt well with the cut-and-thrust of Chinese traffic, with smooth responses and correct lane selection.

Compared with Tesla’s similar FSD (Supervised) system, we noted VLA’s deft, but also rather aggressive, reactions to surrounding traffic, though the system had been instructed to hurry.

In China, VLA does not allow the driver’s hands to leave the steering wheel for more than 10 seconds without warnings and eventual disengagement.

But the tech could be laxer in Australia, where Tesla’s FSD allows long periods of hands-off driving if the driver’s eyes are detected to be watching the road.

The local VLA rollout will be tied to a broader product expansion that begins with the Mona L03, a lower-cost SUV expected to sit below the G6 in price and compete with mainstream electric SUVs including the BYD Atto 3 and Geely EX5.

The L03 is a 4600mm long SUV on a new Mona platform developed for both battery-electric and extended-range EV powertrains.

Chinese-market technical details discussed with GoAuto include rear-wheel drive, a 183kW rear electric motor, 56kWh and 71kWh LFP battery options for the EV, and a claimed 10-80 per cent DC charge time of about 20 minutes.

An extended range Kunpeng Super Hybrid version is also planned, with a 37.2kWh battery, a petrol generator and a claimed total driving range of more than 1000km, though Australian powertrain specifics are yet to be locked in.

XPeng has also confirmed the G9L large SUV will arrive in Australia this year at the top of its line-up, likely with electric and range extender options.

The model is understood to sit above the existing G9 sold in overseas markets and below the flagship GX in XPeng’s global SUV hierarchy, giving the brand a larger, more premium SUV entrant as it seeks broader dealer coverage and stronger showroom bandwidth.