Car companies do far more these days than wrap steel around an engine and sell it to the masses. Tesla pioneered this new approach, diving into home energy and solar systems at first—and later moonshots like humanoid robots.

Others are following its lead, both in the U.S. and abroad. Our very own Kevin Williams ventured to China this month to attend Xpeng’s AI Day, where the startup revealed grand plans for its own bipedal robots and advanced driving capabilities powered by AI models.

For the scoop on what Xpeng is working on and why you should care, check out Kevin’s story below.

Here’s what else is on our radar as we close out another busy week in the future of cars:

  • We spotted one of Waymo’s upcoming Zeekr RT robotaxis charging in the wild.

  • Ford EV chief Doug Field spilled some fascinating nuggets about its upcoming Universal EV Platform.

  • Toyota’s futuristic Woven City is open for business.

That’s it for us this week, readers. Have a great weekend, and see you Monday!

—Tim Levin, Senior Editor

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