Xpeng Inc. (XPEV) is making some ambitious moves in the autonomous vehicle space, announcing three new Robotaxi models during its third-quarter earnings call on Monday. The Chinese electric vehicle maker is betting big that it can compete without some of the hardware that rivals consider essential.

The LiDAR-Free Approach to Self-Driving

CEO and co-founder He Xiaopeng told investors that the company's autonomous driving software doesn't "depend on high-definition maps or LiDAR." That's a notable departure from many competitors who treat LiDAR sensors as a must-have for safe autonomous driving. Whether this strategy pays off remains to be seen, but Xpeng is confident enough to pilot Robotaxi operations in China next year.

Perhaps more interesting for the company's business model, Xpeng plans to "open source its VLA [Vision-Language-Action autonomous driving system] 2.0 model to global commercial partners." This opens up licensing opportunities beyond just selling cars. German automaker Volkswagen "will be the initial launch customer for the VLA 2.0 model," according to He.

The Robotaxi service itself will launch in 2026 through Alibaba Group Holding Limited's (BABA) Amap mapping platform, giving Xpeng access to one of China's most popular navigation apps.

Meet IRON, Your Future Tour Guide

On the robotics front, Xpeng is taking a page from Tesla Inc.'s (TSLA) playbook with its humanoid robot called IRON. The CEO shared that "IRON will be first deployed in commercial scenarios, providing services like tour guiding, retail assistance and patrols" once it reaches targeted mass production in 2026.

The company isn't being shy about its ambitions either. He said the company could sell over "1 million units annually" by 2030. IRON could also be deployed in Xpeng's own stores and factories, giving the company a chance to prove the technology works in real-world settings.

The robot was recently unveiled at an event, naturally drawing comparisons with Tesla's Optimus line of humanoid robots. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has previously claimed that Optimus would represent more than 80% of Tesla's future value, setting a high bar for competitors like Xpeng to chase.

Price Action: XPEV slipped 1.87% to $22.01 during pre-market trading.