XPeng Motors is a Chinese technology-driven electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer founded in 2014 by Xia Heng and He Tao, with backing from prominent investors including Alibaba, Foxconn, and Xiaomi’s Lei Jun. Headquartered in Guangzhou, XPeng designs, develops, manufactures, and markets smart EVs targeting tech-savvy middle-class consumers. The company operates globally with offices in the US, Europe, and China and manufactures vehicles at its Zhaoqing plant.

XPeng has rapidly grown its vehicle lineup, launching models such as the G3 SUV and P7 sedan, with sales exceeding 190,000 vehicles in 2024 and ambitious targets for 2025. The company invests heavily in R&D, developing in-house advanced driver-assistance systems (XPILOT), intelligent operating systems (Xmart OS), powertrains, and electronic architectures.

Since 2020, XPeng has expanded into humanoid robotics, developing the Iron robot, a 178 cm tall humanoid with 60 joints and 200 degrees of freedom, powered by their self-developed Turing AI chip. XPeng plans mass production of Iron starting in 2026, focusing on practical factory applications to complement human labor. XPeng also unveiled plans for flying cars (AEROHT Land Aircraft Carrier) with mass production targeted for 2026, signaling a broad vision for future mobility.

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Robots

Iron Robot: A humanoid robot standing 178 cm tall, weighing 70 kg, with 60 joints and 200 degrees of freedom. It uses XPeng’s proprietary Turing AI chip capable of 3,000 TOPS, designed for real-world factory tasks, autonomous learning, and collaboration with human workers. An upgraded version is expected in late 2025 with internal pilot deployments.

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Specialism

XPeng specializes in smart electric vehicles, autonomous driving technologies, and humanoid robotics. Their robotics focus is on practical, industrial-use humanoid robots with advanced AI enabling autonomous operation, dexterous manipulation, and factory integration. XPeng also develops AI chips and intelligent software architectures supporting robotics and flying cars.

Business Viability

Publicly traded with strong backing from major investors including Alibaba and Xiaomi.
Rapid growth in EV sales with 190,000 units sold in 2024 and a 34% year-on-year increase.
Significant investment in humanoid robotics, planning up to $13.8 billion over 20 years.
Proprietary AI chip (Turing) enhances in-house technological capabilities across vehicles and robots.
Expanding global footprint with offices and manufacturing in China, US, and Europe.
Diversified product portfolio including EVs, humanoid robots, and flying cars.
Focus on real-world applications and factory deployments for robotics, differentiating from competitors.
Strong R&D culture with nearly 40% of employees in research and development roles.

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