Volkswagen begins Hefei self-driving trials; Xpeng cleared for Guangzhou robotaxis

Chinese authorities have granted Volkswagen permission for Level 3 road testing in Hefei and cleared Xpeng for citywide Level 4 robotaxi demonstration operations in Guangzhou, according to announcements from the two automakers. Volkswagen said testing was already underway.

For Xpeng Yoyo, the initial passenger rollout will require invitation codes, Xpeng said on WeChat. The company plans to widen coverage gradually. Its robotaxi is based on the GX SUV and uses four company-developed Turing AI chips rated at 3,000 TOPS.

Xpeng intends to provide technology instead of operating large fleets, and said discussions were underway with several ride-hailing platforms in Europe. It is targeting passenger trips without safety drivers in 2027, a goal chief executive He Xiaopeng announced in August, according to CnEVPost reporter Phate Zhang.

Volkswagen Group China said on Weibo that its license enables real-traffic testing and data collection in Hefei. The automaker is working toward L3 technology readiness in 2027. China business head Ralf Brandstätter said technological advances would not come at the cost of safety.

Bloomberg reported that China halted new robotaxi licenses in April and began an industry-wide safety review after a Baidu robotaxi incident in Wuhan. Licensing restarted in July, with Momenta among the early recipients, according to Bloomberg.