XPENG VLA 2.0 and Tesla FSD Face Off in Amsterdam Test
The author became the first outsider to ride in an XPENG L03 prototype using XNGP with VLA 2.0, then compared it with a Tesla Model 3 running FSD on the same Amsterdam roads. The Netherlands has become the first European market to permit FSD, while XPENG was testing VLA 2.0 before a planned release next year. The back-to-back test took place on September 11 and was under embargo until publication.
The test paired an XPENG L03 prototype running XNGP with VLA 2.0 against a Tesla Model 3 using FSD on identical Amsterdam roads. A Dutch YouTuber rode the Tesla first while the author took the XPENG. Because the L03 was pre-production and insurance rules applied, an XPENG staffer from Munich drove both vehicles.
The Netherlands has become Europe’s first country to allow FSD, while XPENG was evaluating VLA 2.0 before a planned next-year launch. The September 11 comparison was kept under embargo. Amsterdam’s narrow canal-side streets, construction, parked vehicles, tourists, cyclists, and rain created demanding conditions.
If such systems prove reliable in Amsterdam’s dense, bicycle-heavy streets, they could influence how European regulators, insurers, and drivers view automated driving. Residents, cyclists, and pedestrians may benefit from more predictable vehicles, or may face new risks if software misreads chaotic conditions. Automakers could use these tests to refine deployment plans, while cities may reconsider road rules and infrastructure. Public trust may hinge on transparent evidence from real-world trials rather than promotional claims.