The Agenda: China's tech leaders on AI cars, robotaxis and the mobility revolution

Artificial intelligence is set to revolutionize the way we get around.

From smarter technology in the cars we drive to driverless robotaxis, its impact on the future of travel and even on the design of the cities and towns we live in will be huge.

China has placed technological advancement at the heart of its 15th Five-Year Plan. So, in this episode of The Agenda, Juliet Mann speaks to two titans of the Chinese tech industry about the future of mobility: Brian Gu, vice-chair and president of XPeng, and James Peng, CEO and co-founder of Pony AI.

00:00 The future of mobility, physical AI and robotics
00:47 Brian Gu on XPeng and the global EV reset
01:11 What is driving EV demand worldwide?
02:22 How XPeng navigates global markets
03:55 Expanding in Europe amid tariffs and trade friction
05:06 Localization and regional EV supply chains
06:00 From battery range to AI-powered mobility
07:13 Why XPeng is built around R&D
08:32 How close are we to autonomous driving?
09:55 Consumer adoption of smart driving technology
10:48 Level 4 autonomy and the rise of robotaxis
12:32 Barriers to scaling autonomous driving globally
14:02 Physical AI and the next frontier of mobility
15:55 Why XPeng is investing in humanoid robots
18:18 James Peng on Pony.ai and autonomous transport systems
19:39 Robotaxis as part of a wider mobility ecosystem
20:41 Pony.ai’s real-world driverless operations
21:49 Lessons from testing on real roads
22:40 Partnerships with cities, platforms and regulators
23:35 Regulatory challenges across different markets
24:42 Pony.ai's experience in Zagreb
25:23 The business model for robotaxis and logistics
26:12 Competition in China’s autonomous mobility sector
26:56 Why autonomous driving is moving faster in China and the US
27:34 Autonomous driving as physical AI
28:12 The limits and challenges of physical AI
29:03 Watch more on The Agenda

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