Xpeng May Invest Up to USD 13.8 Billion in Humanoid Robots

Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng is considering investing up to 100 billion yuan (USD 13.8 billion) in humanoid robots, according to state media reports.

Credit: XPENG

CEO He Xiaopeng said on Monday that the company views humanoid robots as a long-term project and is prepared to significantly increase its investment. He made the remarks on the sidelines of the annual parliamentary session, as reported by the Securities Times.

Xpeng has been involved in the humanoid robot industry for five years and may continue for another 20 years, He said. The company could invest an additional 50 billion yuan or even 100 billion yuan, though he did not disclose its current investment.

The Guangzhou-based automaker entered the humanoid robot sector in 2020 and introduced its humanoid robot, Iron, in November, positioning it as a competitor to Tesla Bot.

Xpeng is among a growing number of automakers investing in humanoid robots, an area that Chinese policymakers have identified as a priority for technological advancements.

Stellantis-backed Leapmotor has also entered the sector, forming a robot team with dozens of members. CEO Zhu Jiangming said on Tuesday that the company is in the pre-research stage, focusing on industrial applications such as factory assembly lines where robots could replace human workers to improve efficiency.

Automakers could invest 1-2 billion yuan annually in applicable scenarios to deploy humanoid robots, He said, according to an Economic View report on Tuesday.

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• Xpeng may invest up to 100 billion yuan (USD 13.8 billion) in humanoid robots.

• CEO He Xiaopeng said the company sees humanoid robots as a long-term project.

• Xpeng entered the humanoid robot industry in 2020 and unveiled its Iron robot in November.

Source: REUTERS