XPeng Inc. has launched its second-generation VLA autonomous driving platform, with Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng stating that the industry is now at a “watershed moment” in intelligent driving research and development.

He Xiaopeng noted that current L2 driver-assistance systems in the industry are essentially a patchwork of different technical approaches. Because the underlying logic must be switched across various scenarios—such as highways, urban roads, rural lanes, and parking lots—a truly reassuring user experience has yet to be achieved.

He emphasized that end-to-end small models have reached their performance ceiling, marking a turning point in autonomous driving technology. According to the presentation, XPeng’s second-generation VLA fundamentally restructures the model architecture, pursuing two parallel R&D pathways. The first ensures a baseline experience of L2++, while the second involves investing 30,000 computing cards and over RMB 2 billion in R&D resources to explore the ultimate L4 experience, paving the way for fully driverless vehicles.

He Xiaopeng stated, “Perhaps as early as this year, we will see the broad arrival of L4 technology in China. When XPeng was founded 12 years ago, we believed the future would be an era where hardware and software are equally important, not just hardware. That’s why we have always prioritized software—we were the first to introduce highway assistance and the first to launch city navigation-guided pilot.”

He also mentioned that his proposal during this year’s National People’s Congress is to accelerate the technological leap from L2 to L4, improve regulations and management systems, and lay the groundwork for the upcoming L4 era.