XPENG L03 Takes On Tesla Model 3 in an Amsterdam Software Showdown

Two intelligent driving systems faced the same challenging urban route in Amsterdam, and the differences stretched well beyond the software itself. The XPENG L03, running the company’s VLA 2.0 system, went head-to-head against a Tesla Model 3 equipped with FSD — and the back-to-back driving impressions revealed distinct characters in how each vehicle handles the road.

On ride quality, the XPENG felt more closely tuned to European surfaces, delivering a softer, better-controlled response over bumps and potholes. The Tesla, by contrast, came across as harsher in those same conditions, with the suspension occasionally bottoming out. The cabin experience followed a similar pattern: the L03 ran noticeably quieter, from road noise to the air conditioning and steering motors. Massage seats, a driver display, and a head-up unit gave the XPENG an interior that felt more premium than its rival’s, even though the Tesla’s build quality has improved over earlier generations.

Under the hood of the intelligence, the L03’s Ultra trim carries three XPENG-developed Turing chips — two dedicated to driving and one to voice — producing a combined 2250 TOPS. That on-board muscle allows more processing to happen locally, which helped the XPENG handle waypoints and rerouting smoothly. The Tesla relies more heavily on cloud interaction and human-labeled data, and during the test it sometimes struggled with waypoints, missed turns, and hesitated in construction zones. The Tesla was also the only car to draw honks from other drivers, partly from being overly cautious at intersections.

It’s worth noting the two drives weren’t perfectly matched — the XPENG ran in heavier morning traffic, while the Tesla’s second lap came after congestion eased. Still, the comparison suggests that as autonomy matures, the gap between these two approaches may come down to how much intelligence lives inside the car.