A former Apple engineer that worked on its autonomous driving electric car project has admitted he took schematics and prototype information when he left the company. He subsequently tried to join XPeng, but the Chinese EV maker denies the hiring was in exchange for the Apple Car information.https://www.notebookcheck.net/Apple-Car-engineer-pleads-guilty-of-stealing-self-driving-schematics-before-joining-XPeng.642411.0.html
That Miao engineer was probably given more than a nod by xPeng to do "what ever it takes" to prove himself useful. It was expected from him, anyway, but money and priviledges are mixed in for good measure.
It is impossible to prove xPeng's complicity but from now, every time you think to buy their products, think of this: because of them, a leading American company was forced out of this line of business.