CNBC AI News, July 18th – Xpeng Motors CEO He Xiaopeng recently shared his views on the state of autonomous driving technology in a conversation with CBN’s “Two Cents” program.
During the interview, He Xiaopeng was asked to assess the current gap between China and global leaders like Tesla in autonomous driving. He was also prompted to identify the key challenges and hurdles for the healthy development of autonomous driving in China under the existing regulatory framework.
He Xiaopeng responded by stating that only two countries are poised to truly excel in the progression from assisted driving to full autonomy and eventually, driverless vehicles: China and the United States.
He elaborated, “Whether we’re talking about Level 2 (L2), or Levels 3 and 4 (L3/L4), China and the U.S. are currently at a similar level. While there might be slight variations in progress, they’re undeniably in the same league.”
He Xiaopeng emphasized that China’s momentum is noticeably faster than that of the U.S., attributing this acceleration to technology, scale, market acceptance, and regulatory oversight. “I personally feel that China is often underestimating its market acceptance, which is actually higher than in the U.S.,” he added.
Furthermore, He Xiaopeng pointed out that navigating the balance between safe and controlled deployment and enabling real technological advancement could allow China to surpass the U.S. in L2 and L3 autonomous driving. “The combination of safely relaxing control while still pushing technological boundaries may allow China to increasingly outpace the U.S., particularly in Level 2 and Level 3 applications,” he noted.
These comments come on the heels of Tesla’s June 28th announcement regarding advancements in autonomous driving operations.
Tesla showcased a Model Y completing a “fully autonomous delivery,” navigating city streets and highways from its Gigafactory in Austin, Texas, to a customer’s home in approximately 30 minutes, reaching speeds of up to 115 km/h.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, asserted on social media, “To our knowledge, this is the first fully autonomous, end-to-end drive with no human in the car & no remote operator on public roads.” He declared the delivery “true self-driving.”
Reports suggest the Model Y’s autonomous route, encompassing complex suburban environments and residential areas, showcased Level 4 autonomous driving capabilities, indicating minimal human intervention under specific conditions, just below the highest Level 5 classification.
While Tesla’s achievement is undeniably impressive from a technological standpoint, He Xiaopeng’s remarks suggest a sustained confidence and determination within Xpeng Motors, even amidst Tesla’s advancements.
Original article, Author: Tobias. If you wish to reprint this article, please indicate the source:https://aicnbc.com/5026.html
