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.
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.
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.
At present, Xpeng’s cars such as the P7 sedan and G6 SUV can navigate their way automatically on mainland China’s highways and streets, but drivers are required to be fully alert with their hands on the wheel. They are deemed as semi-autonomous and categorised as L2+ vehicles.
L3 is considered a “hands-off” system, but still requires drivers to be responsible for safety and ready to take over, while L4 would allow drivers to take their eyes off the road in designated areas, according to standards set by US-based SAE International.
Tesla is the front runner in mainland China’s premium EV market segment. Xpeng, Shanghai-based Nio and Beijing-headquartered Li Auto are viewed as China’s best responses to the market leader.