Chinese automakers invest in humanoid robots — TechCrunch
Chinese automakers are developing humanoid robots, counting on their future commercial use. Xpeng’s robotics division raised more than $900 million this week at a post-investment valuation of more than $6.3 billion, TechCrunch reports.
Xpeng’s investments in robotics
The funding round was led by IDG Capital, with Gaorong Ventures, Tencent, and Alibaba also participating. Xpeng described the deal as the largest single-round private financing in China’s embodied artificial intelligence industry — AI systems integrated directly into physical machines.
The company is betting on the humanoid robot Iron, which has a realistic human form and is intended for commercial use. According to The Wall Street Journal, Xpeng founder He Xiaopeng and the company’s co-president Brian Gu invested about $100 million in the robotics division’s recent funding round.
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Other manufacturers are also developing robots
AiMOGA, a division of China’s Chery Automobile, has reportedly begun preparations for an initial public offering. BYD unveiled the humanoid robot Xiao Di. Changan, GAC, Li Auto, SAIC, and Seres are also working on similar developments.
Michael Dunne, head of consulting firm Dunne Insights, told TechCrunch that Xpeng is the most consistent among Chinese automakers in following Tesla’s initiatives. In his view, such companies’ advantage lies in their manufacturing capabilities and existing hardware base, while the key question remains whether they can catch up with Tesla in AI development.
Developments outside China
Humanoid robots are also being developed by Agility Robotics, Apptronik, and Figure. Hyundai plans to deploy Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robot at its plant in the U.S. state of Georgia this year and, by 2028, to use robots, among other things, to organize parts in the production process. Mobileye acquired the startup Mentee Robotics for $900 million earlier this year, while Rivian is developing robotics through its Mind Robotics project.
