Humanoid robots and… vary extenders?

XPeng Motors celebrated its annual Tech Day occasion in China earlier at this time, which was renamed “AI Day” for good motive. The subject of synthetic intelligence dominated the Chinese language mobility firm’s incoming applied sciences, which had been considerable. We acquired updates on a brand new in-house AI computing chip, a brand new Xpeng platform to help Degree 4 autonomous robotaxis, flying vehicles, and eVTOLs, a brand new humanoid robotic referred to as “Iron,” full with an existential launch video, and a shocking adoption of combustion-powered extenders that ship as much as 970 miles of further vary.

At the moment marked XPeng Motor’s sixth consecutive Tech Day occasion – one thing we sit up for every fall as it’s positive to be stuffed with thrilling updates and debuts from a mobility firm that continues to develop and dabble in a bit of little bit of every part, not simply passenger EVs.

Final yr, we noticed the debut of XPeng’s X9 MPV, a humanoid robotic referred to as the PX5, and loads of AI-centric software program upgrades. Since then, we’ve seen the X9 formally launch in China together with a rollout of OTA updates to XPeng’s working methods, together with its XNGP ADAS.

This previous April, through the Beijing Auto Present, XPeng gave the general public a preview of a number of the applied sciences defined additional throughout at this time’s Tech Day occasion. That included AI-centric chips, Degree 4 autonomous robotaxis plans, and a brand new neural community referred to as “XNet.” We additionally noticed some contemporary updates, together with a brand new humanoid robotic, an eVTOL, and a brand new gasoline vary extender that might ship a number of the farthest-driving autos on the planet. Let’s dig in.

XPeng shares flying automobile replace throughout Tech Day 2024

There’s lots to unfold right here, however we’ll begin with a mainstay in XPeng information, flying vehicles by means of its air mobility entity, AeroHT. At the moment’s talks had been led by the “Land Plane Service” – an eVTOL/automobile combo that debuted final yr.

As we beforehand reported, the revolutionary land and air automobile is slotted for scaled manufacturing in 2026, and AeroHT not too long ago broke floor on the ability in China that may construct them. There’s not a lot of an replace right here. Nonetheless, XPeng founder and chairman He Xiaopeng reiterated that the Land Air Service will showcase its first public flight demonstration later this month earlier than pre-orders open in December.

In September, AeroHT founder and president Zhao Deli mentioned the modular eVTOL/van combo could be priced at not more than RMB 2 million ($279,200).

Along with its modular Land Air Service and eventual plans for a bonafide flying BEV with propellers on its roof, Xiaopeng shared that AeroHT can be creating a devoted full tilt-rotor eVTOL that includes six seats and hybrid energy. The aerial vessel can have a most vary of 500+ km (311 miles) and attain a high pace of 360 km/h (224 mph).

These flying vehicles and eVTOLs can be powered by a brand new AI “Turing” chip developed in-house by XPeng.

In-house AI chips and a brand new platform

XPeng renamed its Tech Day occasion “AI Day” this yr for a motive. Synthetic intelligence was on the forefront of most of He Xiaopeng’s conversations on stage, and the debut of the mobility firm’s new Turing chip was additionally part of the occasion.

The corporate showcased a brand new Turing AI Clever Driving System, powered by XPeng’s proprietary Turing AI chip, described as “a world-first chip designed for AI autos, robots, and flying vehicles.” The brand new chip includes a 40-core processor and helps fashions with as much as 30 billion parameters, delivering the facility of three high-performance chips in a single.

Xiaopeng defined that the Turin chip has already accomplished over 2,700 purposeful verifications in a mere 40 days and has achieved thrice the {industry} normal for growth effectivity throughout that point.

Along with powering XPeng’s flying vehicles and humanoid robots (extra on that beneath), Xiaopeng used the 2024 Tech Day occasion to unveil a brand new Canghai Platform that may allow full Degree 4 autonomous driving. XPeng has already been promising totally autonomous robotaxis by 2025, and we now have a greater concept of the expertise that may help that, once more, centered round its new Turing AI chip.

The corporate defined that the brand new platform would act because the beforehand teased neural community for XPeng’s new line of AI-centric autos, supporting driving (with or with no human within the driver’s seat) with enhanced security options, 33x bandwidth, and 12x quicker digital camera picture processing, thus creating “a basis for full-scenario AI-enabled driving experiences.”

The “Hawkeye” pure imaginative and prescient ADAS system can see the world round it at 720 levels with out blind spots. Per XPeng throughout Tech Day:

XPeng’s Turing AI system marks a pivotal step towards L4 autonomy, with continuous mannequin updates from cloud-based fashions, making certain a extremely responsive, ever-evolving sensible driving expertise.

Along with autonomous robotaxis, XPeng’s Turing AI chip will energy a brand new humanoid robotic referred to as “Iron” which made its official debut at Tech Day.

XPeng introduces a brand new humanoid robotic referred to as “Iron”

One of many stars of at this time’s occasion was Iron, a critical improve to the robots XPeng has debuted at Tech Days up to now. With at this time’s debut, XPeng turns into the newest tech firm creating and implementing spectacular robotic expertise that might in the future take over full meeting of its autos.

Per XPeng, the Turing AI chip permits the Iron bots to suppose and keep in mind like people (spooky) and likewise permits its fingers and toes to maneuver autonomously. The robotic’s fingers additionally use a 1:1 human hand dimension, with 15 levels of freedom.

The debut included an fascinating video wherein Iron steps right into a room and admires well-known sculptures like Rodin’s “The Thinker” and “Discobolus” by Myron. Iron even copies the Discobolus pose, as seen in XPeng’s video beneath:

XPeng’s Tech Day occasion features a new gasoline vary extender

Maybe the largest shock from XPeng’s 2024 Tech Day was the information that it’s shifting its enterprise technique from all-BEV to incorporate some combustion with a brand new gas-powered vary extender.

On the stage in Guangzhou earlier at this time, He Xiaopeng unveiled XPeng’s Kunpeng Tremendous Electrical System. Xiaopeng says this next-generation resolution “brings collectively XPeng’s developments in newest AI-defined mobility improvements to ship an unparalleled charging and vary expertise.”

The system consists of an 800V platform powered by XPeng’s battery expertise, which helps 5C quick charging and might cost from 10% to 80% in 12 minutes. New to the celebration is a hybrid silicon carbide coaxial electrical drive, which, in keeping with XPeng, will supply industry-leading effectivity and reliability. The vary extender can be additional quiet, outputting noise ranges as little as 1 dB.

The automaker has additionally as soon as once more built-in AI into the facility optimization system, which permits a seamless transition between pure electrical and range-extended driving modes. As you may see from the Tech Day picture above, XPeng’s new system presents 430 km (267 miles) of all-electric vary and a mixed vary of over 1,400 km (870 miles).

That’s lots to soak up, nevertheless it’s all for now. Test again with Electrek quickly as we await the official launch of XPeng’s subsequent BEV mannequin, the P7+. Within the meantime, you may watch the complete 2024 Tech Day presentation on XPeng’s Weibo web page.