XPeng Puts AI at the Heart of Future Mobility at IAA 2025

At IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich, XPeng chose not to frame itself as just another carmaker chasing the electric future. Instead, it put artificial intelligence firmly in the spotlight, built around one defining idea: mobility shaped by AI.

The European debut of the Next P7 may have been the head-turner, but XPeng was keen to stress that the car is more than sleek design and performance numbers.

Described as the world’s first “AI-defined vehicle,” the Next P7 is built on the company’s full-stack, self-developed AI platform that underpins everything from intelligent driving systems to user interaction.

The sedan delivers 585 hp and recently set a new endurance benchmark for EVs, yet XPeng positions it less as a machine and more as an intelligent companion. (You can read our feature on the Next P7 and Mona HERE.)

Alongside the car, XPeng announced plans to open its first European research hub in Munich later this month. The new center will anchor the brand in Europe and ensure its future products are not just imported but shaped with direct input from European users.

It’s a move that underlines how seriously XPeng views the market. A recent survey by German research firm USCALE placed XPeng at the top of the Net Promoter Score rankings among Chinese automakers in the region, with 81% of owners willing to recommend the brand.

What sets XPeng apart is that it was built around AI from the very beginning. While traditional carmakers are layering intelligence onto mechanical foundations, XPeng’s vehicles, systems and even long-term experiments flow from an AI-first architecture.

This framework integrates cloud services, computing power, centralised control and hardware, enabling everything from next-gen smart driving features to the mass roll-out of Level 4 autonomous driving by 2026. Robotaxi trials in China are also part of that timeline. 

Beyond the road, XPeng is extending its AI vision into new realms. Its flying car division, XPeng AEROHT, will stage the maiden international flight of its modular “Land Aircraft Carrier” in Dubai this Oct, with around 5,000 pre-orders already in hand.

On the ground, the company’s humanoid robot programme is advancing quickly. Its “IRON” robot is now being tested in factory settings, with mass production scheduled for 2026.

Speaking at the show, Chairman He Xiaopeng said AI has the power to turn the car into “a warm, intelligent companion.” Vice Chairman Brian Gu reminded audiences how far the brand has come since its first IAA appearance in 2023, when it was still seen as a challenger.

Just two years on, XPeng has grown into one of the world’s six largest EV makers, serving users in more than 40 markets. In Munich, its message was clear: the car is no longer the end point, but the starting point for a larger AI-driven ecosystem that could redefine how people move in the years to come.