Chinese EV maker Xpeng to use own AI chip to power its self-driving cars this quarter
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Xpeng has ramped up development of its own artificial intelligence (AI) chip to power its semi-autonomous cars, with a first mass production model to be fitted with the Turing chip from as early as this quarter.
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The chip, which is claimed to be more powerful than Nvidia's Drive Orin X, would be used in all its production models as the EV maker promoted its cutting-edge technologies, CEO He Xiaopeng said in an interview. The chip could also power flying cars and robots being developed by its affiliated companies, he added.
'Our chips will be seen in our cars all over the world in future,' he told the Post in Hong Kong. 'We hope traffic rules in Hong Kong and other overseas markets will allow our cars with autonomous driving systems to take to the streets sometime next year.' He did not disclose which EV model would start using its self-developed chip.
He, who is also the company's founder, made the remarks ahead of Xpeng's Global Brand Night event in Hong Kong on Tuesday, when the EV maker's latest products and technologies, including drones and autonomous driving platform, will be displayed.
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Chinese EV maker Xpeng CEO unveils newest vehicles in Hong Kong
Chinese EV maker Xpeng CEO unveils newest vehicles in Hong Kong
Level of intelligence has become the new battleground for carmakers to overcome cutthroat competition in China. Xpeng's Turing chip, designed for level 4 (L4) autonomous driving capabilities, was three times more powerful in computing power than Nvidia's Drive Orin X installed in its existing smart vehicles, the CEO said in August.
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