（Cover image source: Xpeng Motors）
36Kr reported that Xpeng has entered the field of autonomous driving chip development. The project has been launched for several months and the team size is currently less than 10 people. It is expected to achieve chip production by the end of this year or early next year.
Due to the complexity of the chip business, Xpeng’s self-developed chip project is being simultaneously developed in China and the United States.
Benny Katibian, the Chief Operating Officer of Xpeng Motors North America, who, like Wu Xinzhou, Vice President of Xpeng Motors’ autonomous driving business, used to work for chip giant Qualcomm, is in charge of Xpeng’s chip project in North America.
The head of China’s chip project is Xia Heng, Co-President of Xpeng Motors, who is currently actively recruiting chip technology talents. The requirements include the ability to manage the whole process of the chip project from concept to implementation, indicating that China’s chip project is still in the early stages.
Xpeng established a self-developed team as early as 2017. Its largest achievement to date is the high-speed autonomous driving navigation function NGP, which has been delivered and well received.
Regarding self-developed chips, Tesla is worth mentioning as a reference in the industry, and Apple, Huawei, and other technology giants have also enjoyed the benefits of self-development. Not to mention that Nio, Ideal, and other competitors have also aggressively deployed self-developed projects. “Pursuing full-stack self-development” seems to have become the “political correctness” in the hearts of new forces.
🔗Source: 36Kr
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.