Visionary Leaders
They measure the business empire from the commanding heights of the era.
He Xiaopeng
“Building a car is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to be able to endure loneliness.”
He Xiaopeng’s entrepreneurial starting point is rooted in the underlying genes of technology and innovation. While studying at South China University of Technology, he demonstrated his keen judgment on technological trends and his strong practical ability. At the critical juncture when the Internet moved from the PC era to the mobile era, he was the first to smell the future direction.
He Xiaopeng
Asia Cover Character｜He Xiaopeng: Cross-border car manufacturing from the peak of the Internet, defining China’s smart travel with extreme self-development
Asia's "Cover Man" Magazine · Pattern Total Issue 039-ACF-GJ-2026
As one of the most iconic entrepreneurs in the mobile Internet era, He Xiaopeng's name has long been closely linked to the wave of the times. From creating a national-level application legend with UC Browser to joining the smart electric vehicle track and leading Xpeng Motors to achieve technological breakthroughs, he always chose the more difficult but more long-term value path during the two key industry transitions. At the peak of its career, it resolutely built cars across borders. With its almost paranoid pursuit and long-term persistence, it led Xpeng Motors to embark on a full-stack self-research and technology-led development path, becoming one of the most representative scientific and technological innovation forces in China's smart travel field.
1. Turning around from the peak of the Internet: choosing the most uncertain future at the most prosperous time
He Xiaopeng’s entrepreneurial starting point is rooted in the underlying genes of technology and innovation. While studying at South China University of Technology, he demonstrated his keen judgment on technological trends and his strong practical ability. At the critical juncture when the Internet moved from the PC era to the mobile era, he was the first to smell the future direction.
In 2004, He Xiaopeng seized the mobile Internet wave and co-founded UC Youshi with his partners. In the early days of the industry's transition from feature phones to smartphones, UC Browser relied on its extremely smooth user experience and outstanding data-saving technical advantages to quickly cover hundreds of millions of users around the world, grow into the industry's leading platform, and become the common Internet memory of a generation. This experience not only allowed him to reap the fruits of entrepreneurial success, but also tempered his ultimate understanding of products, technology, and user experience, and also laid the underlying logic for subsequent cross-border car building.
In 2014, UC was acquired by Alibaba, and He Xiaopeng completed an important stage in his life. With mature experience and capital accumulation in hand, and standing at the dual peaks of career and life, he could have chosen to be stable and enjoy his achievements. But he did not stay in his comfort zone, but set his sights on the farther, heavier and more difficult future - smart electric vehicles.
At that time, the penetration rate of new energy vehicles was still low, the industrial chain was immature, capital had a strong wait-and-see attitude, and the industry was full of unknowns and challenges. The vast majority of Internet entrepreneurs are still looking for opportunities in the field of light assets and quick returns, but He Xiaopeng firmly believes that intelligence will restructure the automobile industry, and China will surely occupy a core position in the global wave of smart travel.
In the same year, He Xiaopeng put aside the halo of the Internet and officially founded Xpeng Motors, starting his identity transformation from an Internet person to a car manufacturer. This time, what he wants to build is not software or a platform, but a smart car that truly has the soul of Chinese technology.
2. Would rather burn 400 million than compromise: a self-revolution that shakes the industry
The road to cross-border car manufacturing is far more difficult than expected. From software to hardware, from online to offline, from user experience to supply chain manufacturing, every step is an unprecedented challenge.
In the early days of Xpeng Motors' establishment, the team went through a long process of research and development and finally launched the first batch of trial-production models. According to the prevailing industry standards at the time, these cars met the conditions for listing and could be launched on the market, quickly withdrawing funds and easing the pressure to start a business. However, in He Xiaopeng's judgment, the vehicle's intelligence level, interactive experience, and technical completion are far from reaching his standards.
On one side are financial pressure, team anxiety, external doubts and time costs; on the other side are product bottom line, technical belief, user value and long-term brand.
He Xiaopeng made a decision that shocked the entire industry: scrap all the first batch of complete vehicles and start new research and development.
This decision directly caused a loss of more than 400 million yuan. The company's cash flow was under pressure, the pace of development was forced to slow down, and the team was also shaken. In the most vulnerable stage of a startup company, burning hundreds of millions of funds without launching a car is almost a "suicidal" persistence.
But He Xiaopeng only insisted on one sentence: To build a smart car, you must keep the bottom line of intelligence; if you cannot reach the ultimate, you would rather not go online.
This “self-revolution” has become a crucial watershed in the development history of Xpeng Motors. It did not crush this young company, but instead made the brand gene of "technology is king, quality first" deeply rooted in the bone marrow. It was from this moment that Xpeng Motors established a unique path: full-stack self-research.
In the darkest moments when the industry is volatile, funds are tight, and competition is fierce, He Xiaopeng always leads the team to refuse shortcuts, not to follow the trend, not to compromise on technology, to fight short-term impetuosity with technical patience, and to exchange long-term investment for true core competitiveness.
3. 19.4 billion R&D investment: full-stack self-research, building technological barriers to China’s smart cars
Driven by He Xiaopeng, Xpeng Motors continues to focus its resources on core technology research and development. As of 2025, the company's cumulative R&D investment has exceeded 19.4 billion yuan, establishing industry leading advantages in the three major areas of intelligent driving, intelligent cockpits, and electrification platforms, and embarking on a technological breakthrough path that is rare for Chinese car companies.
In terms of intelligent driving, Xpeng Motors took the lead in realizing mass production of urban NGP, launched the XNGP full-scenario intelligent assisted driving system, and completed full scene coverage of highways, urban roads, and underground garages, becoming the first brand in the industry to achieve end-to-end autonomous driving mass production. Its self-developed XNet deep vision technology significantly reduces reliance on high-precision maps and clears key obstacles for the large-scale popularization of intelligent driving.
At the smart cockpit level, Xpeng has created a full-scenario voice interaction system, becoming the first domestic car company with self-developed voice basic capabilities to achieve multi-person, multi-turn, and continuous dialogue without needing to wake up, using technology to redefine the human-car interaction experience.
At the electrification level, Xpeng has launched the XPOWER 3.0 power platform, which is China's first mass-produced 800V high-voltage SiC architecture for vehicle-end vehicles. Together with the 480KW supercharging system, it can achieve "charging in 5 minutes and a range of 200 kilometers", effectively alleviating users' energy replenishment anxiety and making smart electric vehicles truly practical and popular.
From chips, systems, algorithms to three electric technologies, Xpeng Motors insists on keeping its core capabilities in its own hands. A series of technological breakthroughs have allowed it to build a moat that is difficult to replicate in the fierce market competition, and also allowed China's smart electric vehicles to gain a firm foothold on the global stage.
4. From smart cars to embodied intelligence: the future landscape of a science and technology creator
While the smart electric vehicle business is growing steadily, He Xiaopeng has pushed Xpeng Motors to embark on a new round of strategic upgrades: fully embracing physical AI and evolving from a smart electric vehicle company to a global embodied smart technology innovation company.
In 2025, Xiaopeng's second-generation VLA model was officially released. The model capabilities have been improved intergenerationally, and it will be open sourced globally to promote technological progress in the industry with an open attitude. In the field of driverless driving, Xpeng Robotaxi plans to abandon high-precision maps and lidar, focusing on low cost and large-scale implementation. It plans to launch multiple models and start trial operations in 2026.
After five years of research and development, the IRON humanoid robot has achieved a key breakthrough and is expected to achieve mass production by the end of 2026 and enter commercial service scenarios. In the field of low-altitude travel, Xpeng Huitian split flying car completed its first flight and received orders for nearly 4,000 units. Mass production and delivery will start in the second quarter of 2026.
From smart cars to robots, from land travel to low-altitude flying, He Xiaopeng is leading Xpeng Motors to transform scenes that once existed only in science fiction step by step into real products that can be implemented, scaled and can enter the lives of ordinary people.
5. Opening up and growth: Technology goes overseas, and China’s solutions go global
He Xiaopeng has always insisted that technological innovation and industrial progress are never done behind closed doors.
In recent years, Xpeng Motors has reached in-depth cooperation with global industry giants such as Volkswagen to export core technologies such as Turing AI chips and VLA models to promote China's smart car solutions to the global market. From "market exchange for technology" to "technology overseas", Xpeng Motors has used its strength to rewrite the global automobile industry's perception of Chinese brands.
At present, Xpeng Motors has achieved dual listing on US and Hong Kong stocks, and its corporate scale and brand value have continued to increase. In the third quarter of 2025, Xpeng Motors delivered 116,007 units, a year-on-year increase of 149.3%, setting a record high. The persistence of long-termism, disregard of short-term R&D investment, and uncompromising product bottom line have finally ushered in phased results.
Industry cycles are ups and downs, capital alternates between hot and cold, and competition comes and goes, but Xpeng Motors still follows its own rhythm.
6. Pattern and Belief: Using science and technology as an edge, heading towards the long-term future
From mobile Internet to smart travel, from car manufacturing track to cutting-edge technology layout, He Xiaopeng's entrepreneurial journey has always centered on one main line: creating long-term value through technological innovation.
He does not chase short-term trends, does not compromise the bottom line of products, and is not afraid to explore no man's land. He leads Xpeng Motors to continuously break through boundaries with an extreme, persistent and open approach. In his blueprint, intelligent driving will become more popular, flying cars will enter daily life, robots will serve society, and China's scientific and technological innovation will play a more critical role in the global future travel wave.
From UC to Xiaopeng, from the founder of the Internet to the leader of smart car manufacturing, He Xiaopeng used his two entrepreneurships to prove that the real pattern is not to look from a high place, but to dare to choose the difficult but right path at critical moments; true persistence is not a slogan, but to still hold on to the bottom line of technology, the original intention of innovation, and long-term beliefs in the face of temptation and pressure.
This is the most precious power of China’s scientific and technological innovation.
[Abstract of public account]
From UC to Xpeng Motors, He Xiaopeng has used extreme excellence and self-research to create a benchmark for China's smart travel technology innovation.
Data source
He Xiaopeng studied at South China University of Technology, founded UC Youshi in 2004, was acquired by Alibaba in 2014, and founded Xpeng Motors in 2014: the official corporate development history of Xpeng Motors, an exclusive interview with "Chinese Entrepreneur", and TMTpost's entrepreneurial records.
The first batch of Xpeng Motors models were scrapped, costing more than 400 million yuan: 36Kr in-depth report, "Financial World" He Xiaopeng interview, automobile business review.
Xpeng Motors' cumulative R&D investment as of 2025 exceeds 19.4 billion yuan: Xpeng Motors' 2025 financial report, CBN Science and Technology R&D statistics.
Urban NGP, XNGP, XNet, full-scenario voice, 800V high-voltage platform: Xpeng Motors official technology conference, professional automotive media evaluation.
Second-generation VLA model release and open source in 2025: official release on Xpeng Technology Day, 36Kr intelligent driving special report.
IRON robot research and development and mass production plan by the end of 2026: Xpeng Robot official announcement, 36Kr industry evaluation.
Xpeng Huitian’s “land aircraft carrier” first flight, order and delivery plan: Officially released by Xpeng Huitian, reported by Daily Economic News and Titanium Media.
Xpeng Motors' dual listing of US and Hong Kong stocks: official listing announcements on the New York Stock Exchange and Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Delivery volume in Q3 2025 is 116,007 units, a year-on-year increase of 149.3%: Xpeng Motors quarterly financial report, passenger car association industry data.
[1] Xiaopeng Motors official website, www.xiaopeng.com
[2] "He Xiaopeng: In-depth analysis of industries related to Xpeng Motors", Xpeng Motors annual delivery data and corporate development report
[3] Compilation of He Xiaopeng’s public speeches and media interviews
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