Xpeng Motors CEO He Xiaopeng has praised Tesla’s new Full Self-Driving system after testing it again in Silicon Valley. He said the latest version, FSD V14.2, feels like a “near-Level 4” system because of how smooth and confident it has become.
He spent about five hours driving Tesla vehicles across Silicon Valley and San Francisco. He also rode in a Tesla Robotaxi. Both cars delivered consistent performance, which made a strong impression on him. He said the system is now much better than when he last tried it over a year ago.
He noted that FSD has moved far beyond a typical Level 2 driving assist system. He believes Tesla’s method of using the same software and hardware in both personal cars and robotaxis is the right approach for long-term progress in autonomous driving.
A step up from his 2024 tests
In mid-2024, He drove Tesla’s older FSD version 12.3.6 and tested Waymo cars in California. At that time, he said Waymo handled busy city areas like San Francisco better, while Tesla performed well in Silicon Valley and on highways.
But this year’s test was different. He said Tesla’s new version has improved enough to close much of the gap with Waymo. He added that it now feels safer and more natural, especially when turning or merging in traffic.
He’s visit also became a benchmark for Xpeng’s own work in autonomous tech. He said Xpeng aims to reach FSD V14.2’s performance level inside China by August 30, 2026. The company plans to release its VLA 2.0 driving software next quarter, but He said the first version will still fall short of Tesla’s current standard.
He expressed confidence in his engineering team. He believes steady progress will help Xpeng close the performance gap in the next two years. Still, he reminded the team that it’s a tough challenge requiring consistent testing and real-world results.
A public challenge to motivate the team
During the trip, He made a deal with his developers. If Xpeng meets the 2026 goal, he will approve a new Chinese-style cafeteria for the company’s Silicon Valley office. But if they fail, Liu Xianming, who leads the autonomous driving unit, agreed to run naked across the Golden Gate Bridge. He shared this bet publicly, and it quickly caught attention on Chinese social media.
This challenge has become an inside joke among Xpeng employees. He’s candid praise of Tesla shows growing respect among Chinese carmakers for the company’s pace of improvement.
He’s comments underline how fast autonomous driving is maturing. Tesla’s FSD keeps moving closer to high-level automation, and its updates arrive faster than many expected. For He, these trips to Silicon Valley are both a lesson and a reminder that the next stage of self-driving lies in real-world testing, shared software platforms, and steady improvement over time.
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