Humanoid robots the new focus of automakers

Automakers are ramping up investments in the humanoid robotics field, a frontier where industry experts see an alignment with manufacturing. Technological advancements and real-world testing are anticipated to initiate the large-scale use of humanoid robots in automotive production and related industrial sectors.

GAC revealed its third-generation humanoid robot, GoMate, on Wednesday, which has been used for tasks such as security inspections. Future applications foresee its role in vehicle production lines and after-market services.

Zhang Aimin, head of GAC's robotics team, said automakers possess a technological edge in developing humanoid robots due to their technological and supply chain synergies with intelligent new energy vehicles.

Essential components such as chips, LiDAR and visual sensors can be used in robotics, while vehicle production facilities and 4S stores offer potential for deploying these products, Zhang added.

He emphasized that all core functional components of GoMate are developed in-house. GAC plans to launch global sales of its self-developed components this year, while GoMate is expected to start small-scale production in 2026, followed by gradual expansion to mass manufacturing.

XPeng Motor revealed its robot, Iron, in November, which adopts a humanoid structure design, with a height of 178 centimeters and a weight of 70 kilograms. The robot works in XPeng's Guangzhou factory in Guangdong province, where it assembles components for the P7+ sedan.

Chery set up a robot tech subsidiary in January and has introduced the humanoid robot Mornine, which works at a Chery 4S store in Malaysia.

Some automakers are opting for in-house development, while others are collaborating with established humanoid robotics firms to accelerate deployment.

Great Wall Motors announced on Tuesday that it has partnered with Unitree Robotics, a prominent player in the robotics market, to integrate robotics into auto production. This partnership aims to advance humanoid robot technology and intelligent production processes.

BYD and Geely have collaborated with UBTech, a robotics company whose Walker S series of products are used in multiple vehicle factories.

Mercedes-Benz announced in March an investment of tens of millions of euros in the humanoid robot company Apptronik and plans to use humanoid robots at its digital factory in Berlin, Germany.

Some 20 global automakers have ventured into the humanoid robot sector so far. Industry experts anticipate that this move will foster substantial integrated development synergies. The auto manufacturing sector, characterized by its complex, standardized and capital-intensive workflows, provides an ideal testing ground to accelerate robot development.

The advantage of humanoid robots lies in their high flexibility and freedom, with potential applications in assembly workshops and other areas requiring precision operations.

An accelerated adoption of humanoid robots also provides opportunities for cost reduction and improved efficiency in vehicle production, experts said.

As auto industry competition intensifies with electrification and intelligence, car manufacturers need to explore a new growth curve through AI technology and manufacturing capabilities, they added.

A report by Morgan Stanley highlights that China leads the global humanoid robot market, with 52 percent of such companies being Chinese. The market size is projected to surpass 12 billion yuan ($1.64 billion) by 2030.

Research by consultancy GGII shows that global humanoid robot sales are expected to reach 12,400 units by 2025, with a market size of 63.39 billion yuan. By 2035, sales are projected to exceed 5 million units, with the market size surpassing 400 billion yuan.

But industry insiders say that despite the bright prospects and high added value of the humanoid robot market, the industry is still in its early stages of development. It faces many challenges such as achieving humanlike perception capabilities and addressing the high costs associated with development.

Although humanoid robots and AI cars share a 70 percent similarity in their technical stack, XPeng CEO He Xiaopeng said that the data accumulation required for humanoid robots is much higher than that for cars.

XPeng has been investing in humanoid robots for five years and may require another 20 years and 50 billion yuan to excel in the field, said He. Humanoid robotics and deeper integration with vehicle manufacturing is expected to become one of XPeng's three strategic growth pillars, he added.