Following Xiaomi's venture into electric vehicles, automakers are now emerging as key players in the humanoid robot market. Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently announced that the company's future focus will gradually shift from electric vehicles (EVs) to humanoid robots, particularly its "Optimus" model, which he described as Tesla's core competitive advantage for the next decade.
Musk stated that Tesla will begin "limited production" of Optimus in 2025, projecting thousands of humanoid robots to be working in Tesla factories by then. The company's immediate goal is to deploy over 1,000 robots in its facilities by 2025 to assist humans in various tasks.
Meanwhile, China-based automakers are leveraging their expertise in smart driving and AI technologies to explore new applications for humanoid robots.
Over the past two years, companies like XPeng Motors, Dongfeng Motor, Chery Automobile, SAIC Motor, and BYD have entered the humanoid robot market through in-house development, strategic partnerships, and investments. Industry experts predict 2025 could mark the beginning of mass production for humanoid robots.
The debut of humanoid robots has brought science fiction to life, offering limitless possibilities. The automotive sector has created numerous application scenarios for these robots, accelerating their large-scale adoption. With Tesla's entry into this space, will this trigger a wave of mass production in the humanoid robot industry?
According to China-based media such as Beijing Business Today and Times Weekly, several major China-based automakers have focused on scenario-based and human-centric innovations for human-vehicle interaction. During the mass production and delivery of their intelligent vehicle models, these companies accumulated extensive technical experience, laying a solid foundation for humanoid robot development.
Globally, more than a dozen automakers and companies have entered the humanoid robot sector. Analysts suggest that China-based automakers have a competitive edge due to their technological capabilities, brand influence, and financial strength.
From a technical perspective, China-based automakers have accumulated expertise in autonomous driving, visual algorithms, chip design, and motor control, all of which can be effectively transferred to humanoid robot development. On the manufacturing side, the overlapping supply chains of car and robot production can help companies lower development costs and shorten product launch timelines.
From the market perspective, China's automakers benefit from strong brand recognition and broad market coverage, which can quickly attract consumer and investor interest. Additionally, their financial resources provide robust support for long-term R&D and iterative innovation.
According to the Humanoid Robot Industry Research Report released at the 2024 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), China's humanoid robot market is projected to grow to CNY75 billion (US$10.3 billion, approximately 32.7% of the global market) by 2029. By 2035, this market could expand further to CNY300 billion.
Can China's humanoid robot market capture one-third of the global share within five years? And how does Musk perceive this opportunity? While the answers are still unclear, one thing is certain: nearly ten China-based automakers have entered this market, aiming to gain a competitive edge.
In December, BYD announced plans to expand its robotics team, focusing on developing and customizing robotic systems. The company has already produced industrial, smart collaborative, intelligent mobile, and humanoid robots. Analysts note that BYD's latest hiring priorities, which include robotics software and hardware development, suggest a high level of in-house production.
At the Beijing Auto Show in April, Chery Automobile unveiled its humanoid robot, Mornine, which was developed in collaboration with AI company Aimoga. Mornine features an integrated large language model (LLM) capable of understanding and generating language, enabling it to address professional automotive inquiries.
Since announcing its transformation from a traditional car manufacturer to an AI-driven automotive company in 2023, XPeng Motors has deepened its investments in AI. In November 2024, XPeng revealed its latest humanoid robot, XPENG Iron, through a demonstration video.
The XPENG Iron, designed with a 1:1 human-like scale, uses XPeng's proprietary Turing chips for intelligent driving. It offers natural walking, perception, and interaction capabilities that surpass the company's first humanoid robot, PX5, introduced in 2023. As a partner of Nvidia, XPeng Motors is expected to benefit from Nvidia's advancements in humanoid robotics ecosystems.
Several other China-based automakers have also entered the humanoid robot field through investments. As early as August 2023, BYD invested in startup Agibot, a tech unicorn established just six months prior.
By April 2024, SAIC Motor's venture arm participated in Agibot's A3 strategic financing round, followed by BAIC Capital's investment in July. Automakers like BYD, SAIC, and BAIC have all placed significant bets on Agibot, recognizing its potential in this growing market.
Article translated by Heidi Tai
