Generative-learning artificial intelligence could solve advanced driver safety system annoyances, according to Chinese brand XPeng.
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Much has already been said about intrusive and annoying advanced driver safety technology present in most new cars, with the most egregious systems coming from Chinese marques.
XPeng, a new brand to Australia with only one model currently in showrooms with generally well received driver assist and semi-autonomous systems, believes it can solve these refinement issues by using artificial intelligence (AI) present in its upcoming cars.
When asked by Drive whether the brand would invest in localisation programs to iron out market-specific bugbears, such as poor traffic sign recognition or aggressive lane-keep assist systems, XPeng Motors Senior Director of Autonomous Driving Products Candice Yuan said its products will improve over time.
“I think the most important thing is the AI architecture, that’s the most important thing, and we do it very good and we do a lot of investment on the AI infrastructure,” Yuan said.
“For this part, I think we do a great job, and then we go to new places. Of course, we should be within the rules and we should [adapt the system] to regional signs and other [market specific needs].
“I just drove our G9 on the Germany highway, so you think in my mind I know all the traffic rules in Germany or Denmark? Maybe not.
“But I can know common sense, so I can drive – not very correct, but well there.
“The training [of AI] will be the same.
“The first versions coming to China, they don’t do great because they don’t have the local data, and there’s so much local information.
“But they will improve very quickly, just like a person like me driving in a foreign country.”
This contrasts with other Chinese brands like Geely and GWM, who both invest heavily in Australian-specific tuning of safety systems to smooth out pain points before vehicles arrive in customer hands.
These issues are not isolated to Chinese brands either, with the likes of Ford, Kia, Hyundai, and Mitsubishi models suffering – to a greater or lesser degree – in safety system annoyance.
It must also be noted that many of these advanced safety systems, such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB) are required to be eligible for a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, though the safety body is less stringent on actual effectiveness.
XPeng Vice-Chairman and President Dr Brian Gu told media at the brand’s Global Brand Night in Hong Kong that advanced driving systems should not be limited by jurisdiction, but the brand would naturally adhere to any local requirements.
“A lot of the smart driving technologies are seen in the Chinese market first, but we believe that ultimately these technologies should be made available to a global audience,” Dr Gu said.
“Technology should not stop at borders. It’s just a matter of time.
“Regulation allowing some of the technologies are still not there yet, even in international markets.
“That’s why we are actively working with many governments around the world, really try to facilitate and push for the adoption of these regulations.”
Dr Gu explained all of XPeng’s new products will feature a level of advanced safety and autonomous driving capabilities on a hardware level, but ultimately market regulations will dictate if and when they can be enabled.
“As a company that prides itself on being a leader in smart mobility technologies, we want to be there to offer that feature to our customers when its available,” Dr Gu said.
“That’s why our products all around the world will have more technology, more embedded infrastructure chips in the vehicles, so whenever its available [we can turn those features on] via OTA [over-the-air update].”
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Tung Nguyen has been in the automotive journalism industry for over a decade, cutting his teeth at various publications before finding himself at Drive in 2024. With experience in news, feature, review, and advice writing, as well as video presentation skills, Tung is a do-it-all content creator. Tung’s love of cars first started as a child watching Transformers on Saturday mornings, as well as countless hours on PlayStation’s Gran Turismo, meaning his dream car is a Nissan GT-R, with a Liberty Walk widebody kit, of course.
