XPeng launches its own ‘Smart Driving Points’ safety scoring system

Chinese EV automaker XPeng Motors is implementing a ‘Smart Driving Points’ safety scoring system to ensure future owners don’t abuse its self-driving technology. The safety monitoring system has launched in beta form ahead of a 2022 rollout.

XPeng Inc. is an electric mobility company trying to take China by storm on the ground and the air. XPeng Motors is focused on EV technologies, while its other entity, HT Aero, is developing flying cars.

The EV entity’s most recent vehicle, the P5, launched in China in September and will include XPeng’s Navigation Guided Pilot (NGP) autonomous driving feature.

EV competitors with similar technology have seen drivers cleverly dupe ADAS and self-driving systems while endangering their lives and others on roads. We at Electrek have reported Tesla drivers devising intricate workarounds to drive completely hands-free, while Chinese competitors like Li Auto have seen similar issues.

Earlier this year with the launch of its NGP feature, XPeng began requiring a safety test before any driver can utilize the feature. Fellow Chinese automaker NIO announced a similar test before anyone can use its own assisted driving features, following a fatal crash at the hands of its misuse.

Tesla launched a similar scoring process in September called “Safety Score,” which measures a number of driving situations to ensure EV owners drive safely enough to test out the company’s full-self driving (FSD) technology.

Now, XPeng has (quickly) followed suit by launching a very similar safety measuring system.

XPeng launches its own safety measurement tool

In a recent post on its Weibo page, XPeng Motors announced the beta launch of “Smart Driving Points,” to measure a driver’s safe practices on the road. The trial program currently exists as a small public test ahead of a full rollout announced for the first half of 2022.

According to a report from CnEVPost out of China, the “Smart Driving Points” system gives each driver 100 points when they initially link to their XPeng EV. The vehicle then measures the driver’s safety practices while they use XPeng’s ADAS, based on the following parameters:

• Whether the driver’s hands are frequently off the steering wheel and whether they remain off the wheel for an extended period of time.
• How quickly the driver takes control of the vehicle after the system issues the takeover prompt.
• Whether a driver turns on the ADAS function after 4 continuous hours of driving.
• Notes if a driver doesn’t pay attention to road conditions during long or frequent trips.

XPeng will then deduct points from the driver based on the degree of risk of these and other behaviors. Drivers with at least 90 points will receive early access to OTA updates, while drivers whose points drop to zero will need to retake a safety test to start back at 100. Points will automatically reset to 100 every 12 months as well.

It’s encouraging to see many EV automakers like XPeng and Tesla putting safety processes in place as assisted and autonomous driving technologies become more plentiful.

XPeng drivers should see the beta version of “Smart Driving Points” roll out in December.