XPeng has launched its largest-ever campus recruitment drive targeting 2026 graduates, with heavy focus on AI talent for smart driving and large language models. The automaker's recruitment chief revealed that while initial plans called for 6,000 new hires this year, an additional 2,000 positions were approved mid-year. This expansion particularly bolsters recruitment in autonomous driving while channeling significant resources toward cutting-edge AI model development including VLA and VLM technologies.

Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng emphasized in internal communications that the revised hiring plan now targets 8,000 new employees, pushing total headcount toward 30,000 by year-end. He specifically highlighted enhanced recruitment of outstanding undergraduates and ongoing commitment to the "Explorer Program" designed to cultivate young talent internally. This initiative aims to accelerate career growth opportunities for younger staff members throughout the organization.

Amid intensifying competition for specialized talent in autonomous driving, XPeng's AI recruits will drive advancements toward L3 and L4 autonomous capabilities. The AI models under development will form the foundational architecture powering the company's entire next-generation intelligent product ecosystem.