During a media Q&A session following the global debut and pre-sale launch of the XPeng G9L, XPeng Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng shared insights on the new national standards for power battery safety and autonomous driving safety. He noted that XPeng has been actively involved in shaping and drafting these standards.
Reflecting on autonomous driving, He Xiaopeng highlighted that XPeng and other emerging automakers introduced highway-level assisted driving to China around 2020, with ambitions to expand globally. He observed that more automakers are now making autonomous driving assistance a standard feature, which is a positive development given the demand from both Chinese and international customers.
He emphasized that many drivers may not be fully aware of the varying capabilities of autonomous driving systems or how to handle situations when performance is weak. This underscores the need for a comprehensive and mandatory standard that ensures manufacturers not only excel in specific areas but also address weaknesses and shore up average performance across the board. This holistic approach is what XPeng aims to achieve through mandatory standards.
He Xiaopeng further elaborated that the XPeng G9L's chassis impact resistance exceeds national standards by nearly five times. In highway scenarios, the autonomous driving system achieves a safety intervention rate of only a few tenths per 10,000 kilometers, demonstrating a high level of safety. He concluded, "The stronger the mandatory standards, the more they encourage all manufacturers to follow them, resulting in safer and more systematic vehicles."