Germany: China's Xpeng launches AI-powered EV in Munich with eyes on Europe.

Storyline China's Xpeng launches AI-powered EV in Munich with eyes on Europe It's sleek, minimalist and packed with technology. As part of its "In Europe, for Europe" strategy, XPENG chose Munich, the heart of Germany's auto industry, to launch their latest EV in Europe, bringing advanced AI features to a broader market. Sven De Smet, Head of Brand and Product, XPeng Europe: "Particularly in the Automotive world there's still a lot of mechanical engineering going on and our base principle is that we want to make smart EVs so we start with the technology and the intelligence that is able to deliver a whole host of features for consumers." AI is at the heart of the L03, powering everything from natural voice interaction and personalised driving preferences, to advanced driver assistance that helps the vehicle better understand its surroundings. And XPENG is not alone. As software and intelligence become just as important as performance, carmakers and AI firms are partnering up all over the world. Beatrix Keim, Director, Centre Automotive Research: "You see, for example, Mercedes with Momenta, BMW with Momenta, Volkswagen with Thunder Soft and Cariad and Horizon Robotics, so everybody's going into that direction to have AI-assisted driving. AI is as well in the development process of cars, in production processes. It'll go into any other processes, so there are big movements of using, implementing AI tools in various ways throughout the industry, not only in China. Everywhere." Yet XPeng's ambitions extend well beyond cars. The company has also developed its own AI chip, a flying vehicle and a humanoid robot as part of what it calls a broader "physical AI" ecosystem. Sven De Smet, Head of Brand and Product, XPeng Europe: "So at XPENG we are all into physical AI and physical AI means that we make products that you can touch and the AI inside is able to act and react with its environment. We don't see ourselves as a car company that does technology, we see ourselves as a technology (company) that also does cars, but, for instance, also flying cars and of course humanoid robots with Iron as well." The strategy comes as European automakers face growing competition from Chinese brands that are increasingly competing on technology as much as electrification. Natalie Carney, Reporter: "With the launch of the L03, XPENG is showing the world that artificial intelligence is no longer an add-on but the centrepiece of the work that they do, and betting that AI will not only define the next generation of vehicles but also reshape our future." [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]