The Chinese firm Xpeng has reportedly planned to remove the LiDAR sensor from its future restyled G6 and G9. Both SUVs are expected to move to a camera-only system for autonomous driving, as Tesla has already done for several years.
Still unknown a few years ago in our region, the Chinese firm Xpeng is now establishing itself here. The latter is already marketing its G9 and its G6, which we were recently able to test, and which is chasing the land of the Tesla Model Y. And that's not all, because the manufacturer was also present at the last Paris Motor Show.
The end of LiDAR
On this occasion, the brand founded in 2014 by He Xiaoping presented its new electric sedan, the P7+. The latter, which had been unveiled a few months earlier, has a particularity: it ignores the LiDAR sensor. And it will soon no longer be the only one in the range to adopt this strategy. In any case, this is what the journalists of the Chinese site say CNEVPostwho were able to get their hands on documents filed by Xpeng in China.
These latter concern the restyling of the G6 and G9and give us a lot of information on this subject. But what especially catches our attention here is one point in particular concerning autonomous driving, a technology dear to the Chinese manufacturer. Two years ago, he had already offered us a particularly impressive demonstration of his capabilities in the field. For the record, the two SUVs currently have the right to a LiDAR sensor, at least in China.
This one, which is in fact the acronym for “ Light Detection And Ranging ” do call for a laser beam in order to calculate the distance between the vehicle and the obstacles on the road. A device used by the Volvo EX90 as well as the Mercedes EQS, and which is particularly effective and makes it possible to achieve level 3 autonomous driving, the only one currently authorized on the roads. However, and as on the P7+ sedan, the future G6 and G9 will no longer have the right during restyling.
The two SUVs will now be based on a purely visual systemusing cameras only. A strategy which is not really new, since Tesla has also adopted it, its boss Elon Musk absolutely does not believe in LiDAR. Thus, according to confidential documents, future Xpeng vehicles should opt for technologie Eagle Eye developed in-house. This would have “door-to-door” and “parking space-to-parking space” intelligent driving capabilities.
Small developments
This means that this solution would allow a car equipped with it to complete an entire journey without driver intervention, from departure to arrival. passing through expressways and in town. For now, however, nothing has yet been publicly confirmed by a spokesperson for the brand, but we should soon find out more on this subject. The reveal date of these two vehicles has not been communicated, but it should not be long.
The future Xpeng G6 will be available in several finishes and will feature an LFP (lithium – iron – phosphate) battery, the capacity of which has not been confirmed. We also know that the SUV will display a power of 218 kW, or approximately 296 horsepower. This restyled version will measure 4.76 meters in length, compared to the current 4.75 meters, while the width and height remain at 1.92 and 1.65 meters respectively. The wheelbase is announced at 2.89 meters on this new version.
For its part, the G9 will be entitled to several configurations with one or two engines. The first will claim 350 horsepower while the second adds 224 horsepower. Here again, it will be entitled to LFP batteries and its dimensions will remain unchanged with 4.89 meters long, 1.94 meters wide and 1.68 meters high. However, we will still have to wait before knowing everything about these new versions of the two electric SUVs, which are hunting on Tesla's lands, but not only that.
