Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Xpeng has announced plans to roll out robotaxis and humanoid robots.

As competition in the automotive sector ramps up, particularly in the development robotaxis and AI-incorporated features, the business said that it wants to be considered an “artificial physical intelligence” company rather just a carmaker.

At an event held in Guangzhou, the company's founder and chief executive He Xiaopeng said that the company is focusing on expanding its AI-based autonomous driving technology and developing humanoid robots, expanding its team and increasing investment in the sector.

“Large-scale production of the robots is expected in the second half of 2026, with road testing of robotaxis set to begin very soon,” he revealed.

In November, the carmaker said it had collaborated with Alibaba to launch three robotaxi models in 2026. The robotaxis will initially be rolled out in China, with trials being held in Guangzhou and other selected cities.

Brian Hongdi Gu, co-president and vice chairman at the Guangzhou-based company, said at the time that the service may expand to international markets after its initial launch in China.

Speaking this week, Xiaopeng said that XPeng's integrated artificial intelligence capabilities, powered by its in-house developed Turing chip, will help the company stand out in an increasingly competitive environment.

He added that XPeng is “definitely” not trying to become a car company that just sells low-cost hardware.

“We want to become a global technology company, a company with strong differentiation,” he said.

Founded in 2014, the company is already known for its high-tech, AI-focused cars, equipped with an advanced driver assistance system called XPilot, fast charging and futuristic features, which makes it a strong competitor to the likes of Tesla and premium brands such as BMW and Audi.

During the event, the chief executive presented a series of revamped car models that include new software features such as 3D navigation systems, advanced hazard warnings beyond the immediate line of sight, and improvements in autonomous driving systems.

Xiaopeng stated that the new robotaxis will be equipped with four Turing AI chips developed in-house by Xpeng, capable of providing up to 3,000 TOPS of computing power.

The move comes as partnerships in the global robotaxi industry strengthen.

In December last year, Lyft and Uber signed agreements with Chinese AI company Baidu to pilot robotaxis in London next year.

Subject to regulatory approval, Lyft – which expanded into Europe through the $197 million buyout of FreeNow in July last year – said it planned to trial "dozens of vehicles" in the capital in 2026, with this eventually scaling to hundreds.

If the trial gets the green-light, Londoners will be the first in the UK to test out Baidu's Apollo Go vehicles.

In November last year, Panasonic Group’s Panasonic Energy said it will supply lithium-ion battery cells to Zoox, Amazon’s autonomous ride-hailing company.

Under the agreement, Panasonic Energy will supply its latest 2170 cylindrical lithium-ion cells to power Zoox's fleet of robotaxis, with delivery starting in early 2026 to support Zoox's growing service and operations.

The agreement came after Zoox recently opened its robotaxi mass production facility in Hayward, California.

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