June 19, 2023: On Thursday, Chinese electric car brand Xpeng announced that it received approval to begin rolling out assisted driving tech to users in the nation’s capital city of Beijing.

The initial coverage only includes the “ring-road” highways that run in concentric circles about the city center and “main high-speed roads,” according to a translation of the Chinese-language release.

It took time to be clear when the driver-assist tech could be used on all Beijing city streets.

Thursday’s announcement follows Xpeng’s release of urban scenario driver-assist tech for users in Shanghai in March after an earlier rollout in Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

Xpeng has said it plans to roll out the XNGP tech to other Chinese cities this year. The system, available to drivers of specific models for a fee, claims to create driving easier with software that assists with smooth braking at traffic lights, turning at intersections, and other tasks on city streets.

Xpeng is the only automaker in China to offer a similar level of driver-assist technology as Tesla. While Tesla offers assisted driving technology for highway use, its “Full Self Driving” function for driver-assist on city roads isn’t yet available in China.

Electric car brands in China have increasingly made plans for driver-assist technology a selling point.

Xpeng claimed during its latest earnings call its driver-assist tech drove significant customer interest in cities where it can work. The brand’s monthly deliveries need to catch up to opponents.