Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the recent leadership changes in XPeng Motors' autonomous driving division, highlighting the appointment of Xianming Liu as the new head of the autonomous driving center, and the strategic focus on AI large models for enhancing autonomous driving capabilities [5][7][9]. Group 1: Leadership Changes - On October 9, XPeng Motors announced that Li Liyun would no longer lead the autonomous driving center, with Xianming Liu taking over the role [5]. - Xianming Liu has a strong background in machine learning and computer vision, having previously worked at Facebook and Cruise, and joined XPeng in March 2024 [5][7]. - Li Liyun, who took over the autonomous driving team in August 2023, has a background in electronic engineering and computer science, and has been instrumental in the development of XPeng's intelligent driving solutions [8][9]. Group 2: Strategic Focus on AI - The autonomous driving VLA model is a significant application of the world base model, which aims to enhance the predictive capabilities of autonomous driving systems [7]. - XPeng has been developing a large-scale autonomous driving model with 72 billion parameters, marking a significant investment in AI technology [9][10]. - The company plans to invest 4.5 billion yuan in AI and autonomous driving by 2025, indicating a commitment to advancing its technological capabilities [10]. Group 3: Industry Context - The competition in the intelligent driving sector among Chinese automakers has intensified, with companies like Li Auto and NIO making significant advancements in their autonomous driving technologies [9][10]. - The article notes that 2023 has seen significant personnel changes in the intelligent driving teams across various Chinese automotive companies, reflecting a broader trend in the industry [10][11].

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the recent leadership changes in Xiaopeng Motors' autonomous driving team, highlighting the appointment of Xianming Liu as the new head of the autonomous driving center, and the strategic focus on AI large models for enhancing autonomous driving capabilities [3][4][6]. Group 1: Leadership Changes - Xianming Liu has replaced Li Liyun as the head of Xiaopeng's autonomous driving center, with a strong background in machine learning and computer vision from previous roles at Facebook and Cruise [3][4]. - Li Liyun, who took over the autonomous driving team in August 2023, has a notable background in technology and has been instrumental in the development of Xiaopeng's intelligent driving solutions [6][7]. Group 2: Strategic Focus on AI - Xiaopeng is focusing on the development of a "world base model" for autonomous driving, which is a significant application of their AI large model initiative [6][8]. - The company has announced plans to develop a super-large autonomous driving model with 72 billion parameters, aiming to enhance its competitive edge in the intelligent driving sector [8][9]. Group 3: Industry Context - The competitive landscape in the intelligent driving sector is intensifying, with other major players like Li Auto, Huawei, and NIO also ramping up their AI and autonomous driving technology efforts [8][9]. - Xiaopeng has established the first large-scale AI computing cluster in the domestic automotive industry, supporting the training of its various models [9][10].