XPENG to Launch Camera-Only Self-Driving Tech VLA 2.0 in Europe in H2 2026

Chinese EV maker XPENG plans to roll out its camera-only self-driving system VLA 2.0 in Europe in the second half of 2026, aiming for Level 4 autonomy and directly challenging Tesla.

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Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer XPENG is preparing to introduce its Vision Language Action (VLA) 2.0 self-driving technology in Europe during the second half of 2026. The system relies exclusively on cameras, without radar or lidar, the company says. VLA 2.0 is intended to eventually offer minds-off Level 4 autonomous driving.

XPENG vice-chairman and president Brian Gu Hongdi told the South China Morning Post that the company is confident it can compete directly with Tesla. He described the Chinese market as "probably the most competitive and most innovative autonomous driving market in the world," adding that "the confidence comes from the fact that we are trained in the most fit gym in the world." Gu also stated that XPENG aims to establish itself as a technology-focused brand, noting that many Chinese brands are still perceived as affordability-driven.

More than half of XPENG's sales outside China were in Europe last year, according to the company. Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng has set a goal for XPENG's self-driving capabilities to surpass Tesla's in China by August 2026, next month.

A test vehicle, the XPENG MONA L03, was recently seen testing VLA 2.0 in Munich. Analyst Larry Evans of CleanTechnica, who has experienced both Tesla's FSD V14 and XPENG's latest system, said he believes XPENG's self-driving is more human-like and superior to Tesla's.