Xpeng AD Chief Out, World-Foundation-Model Lead Liu Xianming Takes Over

The company stated that going forward, Liu Xianming will lead the team to accelerate the comprehensive application of XPeng’s Physical World Base Model in the field of AI-powered vehicles.

On October 9, XPeng Motors’ Autonomous Driving Center issued an internal letter announcing that Li Liyun would no longer serve as the head of the center. Liu Xianming, previously the head of the World Base Model team, will assume the position.

This marks another major personnel change within XPeng’s intelligent driving department since the departure of Wu Xinzhu, the former vice president of autonomous driving, in August 2023.

Two men standing beside a sleek gray electric vehicle, with a large colorful display in the background featuring the word 'HELLO!' — The person on the left in the picture is Li Liyun, the former head of the Autonomous Driving Center of XPENG Motors.

In response to this personnel adjustment, XPeng Motors stated that Dr. Liu Xianming brings a background in cutting-edge research in machine learning and computer vision, and is an outstanding technical expert in the fields of artificial intelligence and autonomous driving.

The company stated that going forward, Liu Xianming will lead the team to accelerate the comprehensive application of XPeng’s Physical World Base Model in the field of AI-powered vehicles.

Public information shows that Liu Xianming earned his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2016. He previously held positions at Facebook (now Meta) and Cruise, the autonomous vehicle subsidiary of General Motors, conducting pioneering research in machine learning and computer vision.

A presenter on stage at a product launch event for XPeng G7 Ultra, introducing the industry's first foundational model 'VLA + VLM', with key terms 'VLA-OL' and 'VLM' displayed on a large screen behind. — The “VLA+VLM” large model on the local end of XPENG Motors.

Liu Xianming joined XPeng Motors in March 2024 as the head of the XPeng AI team. He appeared publicly in June this year as the head of XPeng’s World Base Model project. Prior to this recent personnel change, he was already reporting directly to He Xiaopeng, Chairman and CEO of XPeng Motors.

According to sources close to XPeng Motors, He Xiaopeng has recently been frequently engaging in in-depth discussions with Liu Xianming regarding autonomous driving large models. Another informed source mentioned that the AI research Liu Xianming previously conducted at XPeng was already providing necessary software support for the chip and embodied intelligence teams simultaneously.

It is understood that XPeng has now established the first 10,000-card-scale AI computing cluster in China’s automotive industry, supporting the training of the World Base Model, as well as VLA and VLM models. In 2025, XPeng plans to invest RMB 4.5 billion ($633 million) in AI and autonomous driving, with continued increases in investment planned for the future.