Xpeng, a leading Chinese electric‑vehicle manufacturer, and Alibaba’s digital‑mapping subsidiary Amap announced a partnership on November 5 2025 to launch a robotaxi service that will combine Xpeng’s vehicle platform with Amap’s high‑definition mapping data and AI‑driven navigation tools.
The partnership will see Xpeng roll out three robotaxi models that are expected to begin trial operations in 2026. The vehicles will be powered by Xpeng’s in‑house Turing AI chips and a vision‑only autonomous driving system called VLA, targeting Level 4 autonomy and aiming to reduce reliance on costly LiDAR sensors.
Amap will provide the mapping backbone and AI navigation that will be integrated into its existing ride‑hailing platform. By embedding the robotaxi service into Amap’s ecosystem, Alibaba can leverage its vast logistics, e‑commerce, and cloud infrastructure to create a seamless, end‑to‑end mobility offering.
For Alibaba, the deal expands its ecosystem beyond traditional e‑commerce and logistics into autonomous mobility, creating a new revenue stream and reinforcing its AI‑driven strategy. The partnership also positions Alibaba to capture a share of the projected trillion‑dollar robotaxi market and to embed autonomous vehicles into its broader digital services.
Xpeng’s CEO, He Xiaopeng, said the company chose Amap because of his former employer ties and that the robotaxi business is intended to become a core revenue driver. He added that Xpeng will focus on developing and manufacturing the vehicles rather than operating them, allowing the company to scale production while keeping operational costs under control.
Guo Ning, Amap’s CEO, highlighted that the robotaxi service will be integrated into Amap’s aggregated ride‑hailing platform, offering users a “cooler, more efficient, and seamless travel experience.” He also described the collaboration as a critical step toward exploring artificial general intelligence, underscoring the long‑term vision for AI in mobility.
Brian Hongdi Gu, Xpeng’s co‑president and vice chairman, noted that the robotaxi business could extend to international markets within five years, reflecting the company’s ambition to become a global player in autonomous transportation.
The partnership places Xpeng in direct competition with established robotaxi players such as Baidu’s Apollo Go, Pony.ai, and WeRide. Xpeng’s vision‑only approach and in‑house AI chip development differentiate it from rivals that rely heavily on LiDAR, potentially lowering costs and accelerating deployment.
Overall, the collaboration marks a strategic shift for both companies, aligning Alibaba’s AI and logistics capabilities with Xpeng’s vehicle technology to enter a rapidly growing autonomous mobility sector. The partnership is expected to generate new revenue streams, deepen Alibaba’s ecosystem integration, and position Xpeng as a key player in the global robotaxi market.
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