Xpeng has formally named its Robotaxi business XPENG YOYO, with the Chinese brand name Xiaopeng Youyou, and launched a ride-hailing mini-program on the same day, according to Sina Auto. The move marks a shift from technical validation to user-facing operation and commercial exploration, as the company begins handing out invitation codes for public trials.
From internal testing to public operation
The Robotaxi, based on Xpeng's flagship GX model, is described by the company as China's first fully self-developed, front-loaded production Robotaxi. It carries four in-house Turing AI chips with a combined 3,000 TOPS of computing power, which Xpeng says is the highest in the global vehicle segment. The system runs on Xpeng's second-generation VLA large model and does not rely on high-definition maps or lidar, instead using model generalisation and a continuous data loop to deploy quickly across different cities and environments.
Xpeng has been moving fast through the development cycle. In May, the Robotaxi production vehicle rolled off the line. In July, the company completed the full chain from online ordering and automatic pick-up to drop-off, and began employee testing. In August, it obtained remote-testing qualifications for intelligent connected vehicles in Guangzhou, allowing driverless road tests with no safety officer in the front seat on the city's tier one, two and three test routes. Paid internal testing has also begun, with each order priced at just 1 yuan (about $0.14), to verify the billing and service process.
The public launch of the mini-program extends the experience beyond employees to external users, building a base of real users and operational experience ahead of the next phase of demonstration operations.
Brand and business model
The Chinese name Xiaopeng Youyou combines characters evoking leisure and travel, aiming to deliver a relaxed, carefree ride experience. The English name XPENG YOYO is designed for global brand recognition - short, easy to read and consistent across different language environments, preparing the Robotaxi for future international markets.
For passenger comfort, users can pre-adjust cabin temperature and switch on in-car fragrance through the mini-program before boarding. The vehicle features zero-gravity seats, massage functions and an entertainment screen, with music and video content services, extending autonomous driving from simply getting passengers to their destination to providing a more comfortable journey.
On the business model, Xpeng CEO He Xiaopeng has said the company positions itself as a technology provider and ecosystem enabler, earning revenue through hardware sales, services and commission sharing, while offline operations are handled by global partners. Xpeng plans to offer an integrated solution combining vehicle platforms, autonomous-driving software and AI capabilities to push Robotaxi from single-point validation toward scaled, global deployment.
