What does "smart" and "green" manufacturing look like in real life? Our reporter toured XPeng's Guangzhou intelligent manufacturing base to see how an electric car takes shape—from automated stamping and welding to mega die-casting and final quality checks.
Inside the plant, "smart" and "green" are central themes. The stamping and welding workshops run with a high level of automation, while production is coordinated digitally through an MES (Manufacturing Execution System).
One standout in the showroom is XPeng's first-generation IRON humanoid robot, launched in 2024. Designed to interact with people, it can handle delicate tasks—such as picking up items with chopsticks—and is also shown performing on-site functions like material handling and assisting with assembly. In retail settings, it can serve as a guide, introducing products to customers.
In the die-casting workshop, molten aluminium is injected into moulds to produce chassis components in a single shot using a massive 16,000-ton die-casting machine.
Further down the line, robotic arms tighten fasteners with high precision on the chassis line. In the tyre area, vision-based inspection checks correct mounting, followed by additional quality-control steps before vehicles are shipped to customers.
The biggest attention-grabber is the "Land Aircraft Carrier"—a six-wheel vehicle designed to carry a foldable aircraft in its rear compartment. The aircraft is described as capable of low-altitude flight (around 120 metres) for about 30 minutes.
XPeng's current daily output is roughly 500 to 600 vehicles, serving both the domestic market and overseas destinations, including Malaysia and Germany.
More broadly, Chinese automakers are accelerating their global expansion. BYD has risen into the world's top tier of automakers by market share, while GAC reported a 132% surge in exports for its self-owned brands.
(Reporter: Lynn Zhou; Camera: Lynn Zhou; Video Editing: Brayce Chen)
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