Tesla FSD Has Fierce Competition In China! My XPeng VLA 2.0 Unfiltered Drive & Experience

TL;DR

XPeng's VLA 2.0 driver assistance system on the P7 Ultra rivals Tesla FSD in China with smoother, more confident urban driving.

Key Points

• 1.XPeng VLA 2.0 is a significant leap over its predecessor. The host previously drove NGP one year prior and constantly had to take over, but VLA 2.0 handled complex urban scenarios with minimal intervention.
• 2.The test vehicle is the XPeng P7 Ultra, a high-spec EV. It features 600 horsepower, 0–60 in 3.7 seconds, and 500 kW (5C) charging capable of 10–80% in roughly 10–11 minutes, priced at ~300,000 RMB (~$42–43K USD).
• 3.VLA 2.0 uses a vision-only system with no LiDAR. Like Tesla FSD, XPeng relies on cameras and radar rather than LiDAR, putting it in contrast with Huawei ADS and other sensor-heavy Chinese competitors.
• 4.Tesla FSD China version felt like a 6-month-old US build. The hosts drove FSD for ~45 minutes before the XPeng test and found it conservative, requiring at least five takeovers, with hesitation around pedestrians crossing.
• 5.VLA 2.0 is smoother than Tesla FSD in the Chinese context. The system handled lane changes, unprotected turns, narrow village roads, and scooter-dense intersections with gentle, confident inputs that impressed both reviewers.
• 6.The system is tuned aggressively for local driving culture. Set to 10% over the speed limit with all features enabled, it cuts into gaps and moves assertively — behavior the hosts noted would unsettle Western drivers.
• 7.Huawei ADS ranks first among Chinese systems in the hosts' assessment. They placed Huawei ADS above XPeng VLA 2.0, then Tesla FSD China, citing Huawei's millimeter-precision, aggressive routing, and superior parking lot navigation.
• 8.VLA 2.0 still has weaknesses in parking lot scenarios. Without a mapped private parking destination, the system struggled to navigate hotel lots and made one unnecessary hard brake, areas the hosts flagged as needing improvement.
• 9.The XPeng Mona offers VLA 2.0 at roughly $12,000 USD. The budget EV carries the same driver assistance platform with fewer cameras and occasional software bugs, highlighting how aggressively China prices advanced ADAS features.
• 10.XPeng sells in Europe but not yet the US due to 100% tariffs. Models like the G6 and G9 are available in Germany, Netherlands, and Finland; the P7 has not yet reached Europe, and US market entry remains blocked by trade barriers.