- What is LiDAR and Why Did Xpeng Use It Previously?
- Xpeng’s Shift to Pure Vision System: A Sign of Technological Maturity
- Official Denial and Addressing False Rumors
- Reasons for Not Returning to LiDAR at Present
- What Does This Decision Mean for the Market and Electric Vehicle Competition?
- Xpeng’s Technical Strategies Going Forward
Amid growing discussions about autonomous driving technologies and the race among electric vehicle manufacturers to acquire the latest smart systems, recent reports cast doubts on Chinese automaker Xpeng’s intentions regarding the use of LiDAR technology in its new models. However, a senior company official has categorically denied these rumors, confirming that Xpeng will continue relying on a pure vision-based autonomous driving system. The company intends to focus on developing advanced technologies centered on safety and efficiency without returning to the use of LiDAR.
In this article, we examine the background of this technology, its relevance to Xpeng’s autonomous driving system, and the impact of this decision on the company’s strategic positioning in the competitive electric vehicle and smart technology market.
What is LiDAR and Why Did Xpeng Use It Previously?
LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging. It uses laser beams to measure distances and create accurate maps of the vehicle’s surrounding environment, making it important in autonomous driving systems to enhance obstacle detection and hazard awareness.
Over the past years, Xpeng incorporated LiDAR sensors in some of its models, specifically at Level 3 autonomous driving and below, as part of its sensor suite. This addition gave vehicles enhanced ability to perceive their surroundings, particularly across complex road scenarios.
Xpeng’s Shift to Pure Vision System: A Sign of Technological Maturity
In November 2024, Xpeng launched the P7+ without any LiDAR sensors, confirming its move towards a full reliance on cameras and advanced computer vision systems that mimic human vision.
According to the company’s Vice President, this vision-only system provides high safety and accuracy levels, with lower complexity and costs compared to LiDAR systems, as well as reduced risk of system malfunctions due to its more streamlined, digital architecture.
The Pure Vision system uses cutting-edge artificial intelligence and machine learning to interpret visual data with high precision, reducing the need to integrate laser-based sensors.
Official Denial and Addressing False Rumors
After some technical media outlets reported that Xpeng planned to resume using LiDAR as a fallback measure for advanced autonomous driving stages (Level 4), the company’s Autonomous Driving Head, Li Liyun, publicly refuted these rumors on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, calling them “nonsense.”
Furthermore, he warned that the company would take legal action against the spread of misinformation, either via local laws or government agencies, underscoring Xpeng’s commitment to transparency and accurate communication with customers and the public.
Reasons for Not Returning to LiDAR at Present
Official statements and expert opinions from Xpeng highlight several technical and commercial reasons for not reverting to LiDAR currently, including:
System Complexity: Integrating LiDAR with the vision system increases overall system complexity, which could affect stability and performance.
High Costs: LiDAR devices remain expensive to produce and install compared to vision-only setups.
High Vision System Efficiency: Advances in computer vision algorithms have significantly bridged the gap in environmental recognition, reducing LiDAR’s necessity.
Specific Environmental Challenges: The vision system performs well across most scenarios, whereas LiDAR might face difficulties in adverse weather or dusty conditions, though it relies on auxiliary systems to cover such gaps.
What Does This Decision Mean for the Market and Electric Vehicle Competition?
By discontinuing LiDAR use, Xpeng reflects a strategy aiming to make autonomous driving more reliable, easier to maintain, and more affordable for end-users, especially as the market shifts toward integrated, competitively priced high-quality solutions.
This move boosts Xpeng’s competitiveness against companies like Tesla, which also relies solely on a Pure Vision system in its vehicles, continuously improving via over-the-air software updates.
It also reflects confidence in Xpeng’s internal innovation capabilities in AI and computer vision technologies, supporting the company’s message that future technologies do not necessarily require complex or costly hardware but depend on intensive software intelligence.
Xpeng’s Technical Strategies Going Forward
In statements, the Vice President highlighted that Xpeng is preparing to enter the next autonomous driving stage (Level 4) using enhanced vision and AI technologies on integrated platforms capable of handling complex driving scenarios.
The company’s strategies will remain flexible to adapt to future challenges while maintaining a pipeline of innovations and continuous updates aligned with customer and global market demands.
While some competitors pursue multi-sensor approaches combining LiDAR with vision, Xpeng chooses to focus on smart vision-based solutions, which have proven successful in its recent models.
Company officials affirm that there are no plans to return to LiDAR use at this time, and rumors to the contrary are exaggerated and unsupported by official facts.
As the electric vehicle sector continues to evolve globally, Xpeng’s stance and technology choices represent a strategic approach that supports innovation and offers advanced technology at affordable prices to a broader user base.
