CHINESE electric vehicle (EV) startup Xpeng Inc. on Sunday unveiled details of new products and features including an assisted driving system, a faster charging infrastructure and a flying car as it signaled its intent to expand from its auto-manufacturing roots.

The Guangzhou-based company also launched the prototype of a ridable robot horse at its so-called “Tech Day.”

Xpeng said 60 percent of its users have paid for the assisted-driving feature, called the navigation-guided-pilot function, which can be used on highways now. That contributed to the company’s total revenue and boosted optimism it can make profit from the intelligent system, Xpeng said.

“Our exploration of more efficient, safer, carbon-neutral mobility solutions goes far beyond just smart EVs, and is the cornerstone of our long-term competitive advantages,” chairman He Xiaopeng said. He added that new energy vehicle penetration rate will reach 50 percent by 2025.

An upgraded version of Xpeng’s assisted-driving feature, known as XPILOT 3.5, will navigate drivers in cities as early as mid-2022, said Wu Xinzhou, vice president of Xpeng’s autonomous driving unit, though an actual rollout will depend on the product development and local regulations.

The company will also partner with others to explore robo-taxi operations starting from the second half of next year.

An advanced point-to-point driver assistance program, known as XPILOT 4.0, is planned for rollout in the first half of 2023, and will be equipped on Xpeng’s next product — an electric sports utility vehicle. (SD-Agencies)