On 8 October 2026 the Guangzhou carmaker XPENG gave its robotaxi service a brand name, “XPENG YOYO”, and said online registration “was opened to the public in China through invitation codes” (company-reported) [1]. This is not an open public launch: members of the public need an invitation code to take part in testing. TSN first covered this in its Robotaxi Week post as a 9 October update; that post now covers Tesla only.
What did XPENG announce?
XPENG’s press release says that on 8 October the service got its brand name and that “the XPENG YOYO autonomous driving online registration was opened to the public in China through invitation codes” [1]. TechNode adds that the company launched a ride-hailing “mini program” for the testing, inviting members of the public to take part with invitation codes [2].
The release’s summary line says registration was opened “to the public in China”; its body specifies invitation codes. TechNode is blunt about the difference: “invitation-only trials do not mean the service is fully open to the public” [2]. XPENG’s release and TechNode give no service area or operating hours, and TechNode lists coverage area, booking availability and operating hours as details still to watch [1][2]. One Chinese outlet, Guandian (观点网), says in a report carried by Phoenix (ifeng) on 8 October that the service currently covers only designated areas of Guangzhou, that invited riders must use listed pick-up points and that it is not yet in formal operation (reported; TSN has not seen XPENG state this itself) [3]. XPENG says the experience “has gradually expanded from employees to external users” [1].
How did it get here? (XPENG’s timeline)
XPENG says its mass-produced robotaxi rolled off the line in Guangzhou in May 2026. In July it completed the full chain from online ride-hailing to automated pick-up and drop-off. In August it obtained what it calls “Guangzhou’s remote testing qualification for intelligent connected vehicles”, which it says lets it road-test without a safety operator in the driver’s seat on the relevant Class I, II and III test roads in Guangzhou [1].
Before this, it ran paid internal testing at 1 renminbi (yuan) per ride, mainly to check the payment process and service workflow [1]. TechNode reports that by August XPENG had completed more than 2,000 internal test rides in Guangzhou [2]. TSN has not seen XPENG’s own count.
What does XPENG claim about the technology?
XPENG calls this “China’s first fully in-house developed Robotaxi to achieve pre-loaded mass production”. It also says each car carries four of its own Turing AI chips and runs its VLA2.0 model without HD maps or LiDAR [1]. TechNode describes the same approach as vision-based perception rather than high-definition maps or LiDAR [2]. These are the company’s own descriptions. TSN has not seen independent safety data for the service.
TechNode’s own view is that opening the service is only a first step: “The bigger questions are whether the vehicles can operate reliably, whether the service can run smoothly from booking to drop-off, and how the business can eventually become profitable” [2].
What is the business plan?
XPENG’s chief executive, He Xiaopeng, says the company will act as a “technology provider and ecosystem enabler”. It plans to earn money from hardware sales, services and commission sharing, and to leave offline operations to partners [1].
TechNode reports that XPENG plans to introduce a dedicated robotaxi model in 2027, to expand gradually in Guangzhou and to explore other cities, including Shenzhen. It also reports that He aims to reach single-vehicle profitability in Guangzhou in the second half of 2027, supported by high-density operations [2]. That is his stated aim, not a result.
What this does not show
- How big the service is. XPENG has not said how many YOYO cars are running or how many invitations have been issued [1][2]. The only area description TSN found is Guandian’s “designated areas of Guangzhou” [3].
- That it is safe at scale. No independent safety data has been published for XPENG’s vision-only, no-lidar approach; the technology description is the company’s [1].
- That it is open to everyone. Registration needs an invitation code [1][2].
- What outside riders pay. The paid internal testing was 1 renminbi per ride [1]; TSN found no statement on fares for invited public users in either source.
- That it will be profitable. The second-half-2027 goal is the CEO’s aim, as reported by TechNode [2].
The Bottom Line
XPENG has named its robotaxi service XPENG YOYO and opened invitation-only registration to the public in China (company-reported) [1]. It is a step from staff testing towards outside users, not a public launch, and the technology and timeline claims are XPENG’s own. Its 2027 profitability goal is the CEO’s aim, as reported by TechNode [2]. What to watch: a service area, operating hours, fleet size and independent safety data.
Related stories
- Tesla Cybercab: A Philadelphia Crash, Texas Registry Growth and a 300+ Austin Claim: the post where this was first covered; it now covers Tesla only.
- Waymo Closes Its $5 Billion Term Loan, Its First Debt Financing: What We Know: another robotaxi story from the same week.
- Pony.ai and Uber Plan Robotaxi Testing in London: What Is Planned, and What Is Not Known: another China-based robotaxi company’s plan, this time in London.
- The Road to Autonomy: How Self-Driving Cars Are Reshaping Transportation: background on how robotaxis developed.
- Tesla Is Trapped Between Trump and Xi. The Next 30 Days Will Decide Its Future.: an earlier TSN piece that also mentions XPeng’s robotics work in Guangzhou.
Sources
- XPENG, “XPENG Robotaxi Is Officially Named ‘XPENG YOYO'”, press release, 8 October 2026 (company-reported; also distributed via PR Newswire: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xpeng-robotaxi-is-officially-named-xpeng-yoyo-302902261.html), re-read 11 October 2026. https://www.xpeng.com/pressroom/news/01a11addc34ca0e70a9e8a0282360128
- Jessie Wu, “XPENG names robotaxi service XPENG YOYO, moves toward public trials”, TechNode, 9 October 2026 (reported; 2027 plans and profitability aim attributed to XPENG and its CEO). https://technode.com/2026/10/09/xpeng-names-robotaxi-service-xpeng-yoyo-moves-toward-public-trials/
- Guandian (观点网), “小鹏Robotaxi定名小鹏悠游 广州指定区域开放邀请码内测” (“XPENG Robotaxi named XPENG YOYO; invitation-code beta opens in designated Guangzhou areas”), carried by Phoenix (ifeng) 大风号, 8 October 2026, 21:48 China time (Chinese trade press; reported; single source for the Guangzhou area and pick-up-point detail), read 11 October 2026. https://feng.ifeng.com/c/8x4UdpXD3Lq
