XPeng reveals first images of a new electric car that features camera-based self-driving tech
- XPeng unveiled images of its all-new P7+ EV
- It will ditch LiDAR sensors to favor camera-based self-driving tech
- Tesla also uses pure vision cameras for its FSD systems
Published on Jul 13, 2024 at 5:45 PM (UTC+4)
by Siddharth Dudeja
Last updated on Jul 15, 2024 at 1:16 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Nalin Rawat
Tesla may have grabbed all the world’s attention with its FSD-powered self-driving tech, but Chinese automaker XPeng has been making strides — the brand’s latest EV features a new camera-based self-driving tech that seems promising.
The new EV has a name — the XPeng P7+ — and the automaker shared a few details of the car with images on social media.
It is likely an upgrade to the Chinese automaker’s debut car that rivaled the Tesla Model 3, but the upgrades are quite fancy, to say the least.
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New self-driving tech for new EVs
XPeng made its way to the top players in self-driving cars and assisted drive tech like ADAS with its LiDAR sensors, but it’s now reportedly making the shift toward pure vision cameras.
These are similar to the cameras that Tesla uses, so at least we know that it’s a promising compromise.
All current models in the automaker’s portfolio use LiDAR sensors.
However, that’s going to change in future releases, and the P7+ will be the first EV to feature camera-based autonomous driving capability.
Although XPeng operates in more areas than just EVs, such as flying cars, its focus seems to be on track.
XPeng CEO He Xiaopeng was the one to unveil the brand’s latest car on Weibo, and he already has some photos for the world to see.
Xiaopeng wants the car to “open a new era of intelligent driving,” which certainly seems like a long stretch.
What we know about the XPeng P7+
While we obviously do not have all the details just yet, Xiaopeng confirmed three things.
These include the car’s name — P7+, its length — more than five meters (196 inches), and its unique feature called ‘technology+’ that likely indicates its new camera system.
The new EV will also boast XPeng’s flagship software, which some say is better than Tesla’s FSD.
In addition, the car’s length is longer than the brand’s current lengthiest sedan, so that’s a first, too.
Although the automaker is nowhere near the size of Tesla, the tech is promising.
We will know more about the P7+ EV when it officially launches in Q4 2024.
Siddharth Dudeja
Siddharth is a tech nerd with a secret love of all things cars. He has been writing for a few years now, and on his free time you would find him gaming when he's not procrastinating.
