XPENG Demonstrates XNGP AI Driving to UN WP.29 Delegates in Shanghai

XPENG presented its XNGP AI driving system to global regulators at the UN WP.29 forum in Shanghai, offering live road demonstrations during ADS discussions.

XPENG moved the discussion of automated driving beyond the conference room and onto the streets of Shanghai. During the Informal Working Group on Automated Driving Systems (IWG ADS) session under UN/WP.29, the company hosted live road demonstrations of its AI-driven driver assistance system, XNGP, for international delegates.

The forum, which brings together regulators, industry experts and consumer organizations to develop harmonized rules for Automated Driving Systems, convened offline in China for the first time. Instead of limiting the exchange to technical slides and regulatory documents, delegates were placed in the passenger seat of a production smart EV operating in real traffic.

Officials and experts from Canada, the European Union, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States experienced XNGP in both urban and highway scenarios. The demonstrations highlighted the system’s real-time perception, decision-making and vehicle control capabilities. Particular attention was given to its integrated safety framework, including driver status monitoring, human–machine interaction logic and overall safety design.

For XPENG, the appearance in Shanghai marked a continuation of its regulatory engagement. The company has participated in discussions under the Taskforce on ADAS since 2023, focusing on Driver Control Assistance Systems (DCAS), and began joining IWG ADS meetings in 2025. At this session, XPENG was the only emerging Chinese automaker to participate throughout the forum and provide live on-road demonstrations.

Looking ahead, XPENG shared details of its VLA 2.0 (Vision-Language-Action) architecture, described as the next-generation AI foundation for intelligent driving. According to the company, the system is designed to streamline how visual input is translated into vehicle actions, aiming for faster response times and reduced information loss in complex real-world scenarios. XPENG has previously indicated plans to roll out VLA 2.0 in 2026 and identified Volkswagen as the launch customer for the architecture.

The company also reiterated its Robotaxi roadmap. XPENG has announced plans to introduce three Robotaxi models in 2026 and begin trial operations in China. The program relies on a full-stack in-house platform, including the company’s self-developed Turing AI chips, with previously disclosed configurations reaching up to 3000 TOPS of onboard computing power.

The regulatory setting adds further context. UNECE working bodies such as GRVA and IWG ADS are tasked with developing globally harmonized provisions for automated driving systems, including frameworks related to DCAS and ADS. Demonstrating an AI-driven system under real traffic conditions to representatives of major automotive markets placed XPENG’s technology within this broader process of international rulemaking.

In Shanghai, the showcase of XNGP was more than a product presentation. It reflected a direct exchange between a developer of large-scale AI driving systems and the global regulatory community at a time when the harmonization of ADS rules remains a central challenge for the automotive industry.