Xpeng reveals ambitious global plans with X9, AI chip, flying car, and humanoid robot

Chinese EV maker Xpeng hosted the 2025 Xpeng Global Brand Night in Hong Kong on Tuesday. The event showcased the company’s progress in AI chips, flying cars, and humanoid robots. The Guangzhou-based company also debuted its first global flagship model, the Xpeng X9, a seven-seater multi-purpose vehicle.

Why it matters: The event signals Xpeng’s broader push beyond EVs. With its tech strategy combining AI, energy solutions, and robotics, the company is laying the groundwork for a connected ecosystem that includes smart cars, humanoid robots, and flying vehicles, showing where it sees the future of mobility heading.

Details: The event was held at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, where an immersive stage was set against the backdrop of Victoria Harbour’s night view. On-site displays included the new X9 model, flying cars, and robots. In his keynote, CEO He Xiaopeng emphasized Xpeng’s push for greater international recognition.

• The Xpeng X9, the first global flagship model, targets the Hong Kong and European markets, and includes a right-hand drive option for overseas demand. The Hong Kong launch is seen as a stepping stone to international markets, with plans to enter over 60 countries and regions by 2025. At the brand night, He Xiaopeng said the company aims to achieve L3-level autonomous driving ability in mainland China by the end of 2025.
• The company unveiled its plans for mass production of the self-developed Turing AI chip in mainland China in the second quarter of 2025. Custom-designed for advanced intelligent driving, a single Turing AI chip supports 30-billion-parameter models, three times the power of existing chips, Xpeng said. The chip will support autonomous driving, robotics, and flying cars.
• CEO He stated that the AEROHT Land Aircraft Carrier, the world’s first modular flying car, will enter mass production in 2026. The Guangzhou factory is planned to have an annual production capacity of 10,000 units, and pre-sales orders surpassed the 4,000 unit mark by the end of 2024, according to the company.
• Xpeng humanoid robot IRON is powered by the Turing AI chip, with 60 joints, 200 degrees of freedom, and 3,000 TOPS of processing power, as revealed at the event. Shi Xiaoxin, head of Xpeng’s humanoid robot program, told TechNode during an interview that an upgraded version of the IRON robot will launch in the second half of this year. The improved robot, with greater flexibility and mobility, will first be piloted internally, including at Xpeng’s Guangzhou factory. A full market release is expected around 2027 or 2028, Shi added.
• “When you look at other robots on the market, a lot of them focus on flashy demos—running, jumping, that kind of thing,” Shi said when asked how Xpeng’s robot is different. “But for us, it’s more about real-world practicality. We’re training our robot in actual factory environments to do specific tasks that matter. The robot industry is still in its early days, and there are plenty of challenges, like the lack of a mature supply chain for key components. That’s why we’ve been putting resources into developing our own parts and technologies over the past two years.”

Context: Xpeng sold 190,000 vehicles in 2024, a year-on-year increase of around 34%, according to its financial report. Last year’s revenue rose 33.2% to RMB 40.87 billion ($5.56 billion). Overseas sales reached 20,000 units, and the company is targeting over 380,000 units in 2025.