How Xpeng's smart factories produce 1 million electric vehicles

Xpeng has built its electric vehicle production around maximum automation. The company's Guangzhou plant was designed from the ground up as a "smart factory," where robots, artificial intelligence, and proprietary digital systems play key roles.

The company's first facility opened in Zhaoqing in 2017. This integrated site combines stamping, welding, painting, and final assembly operations. Certified as a national "green factory," it's equipped with 389 ABB robots and can produce a vehicle every 90 seconds. Production volumes have steadily increased—the plant reached 10,000 vehicles in 2019, and by June 2023, Xpeng reported cumulative production of 300,000 units.

In 2023, Xpeng launched its second fully integrated factory in Guangzhou Knowledge City (Huangpu district), spanning 126 hectares. This facility is designed to handle three platforms and various body types, from sedans to SUVs and minivans. Together, these two sites have accelerated output: by January 2025, the company reached 600,000 vehicles, hitting 800,000 six months later, and in November 2025 celebrated its millionth vehicle—the seven-seat premium minivan Xpeng X9.

Production is managed by an in-house system that engineers call the "smart brain." The welding shop, covering 37,824 square meters, operates with 396 robots, achieving precision control down to 0.05 mm on certain steps. Final assembly involves 400 stations, with 80% of parts delivered by automated transport platforms. Before shipping, every vehicle undergoes extensive checks, including leak tests and road trials.