Chinese Automakers Continue Advancements in Humanoid Robots

The Chinese are outpacing Western manufacturers when it comes to developing humanoid robots and putting them to work in automotive factories.

Chinese battery-electric-vehicle makers, including major players such as GAC, BYD, XPeng and Xiaomi, are aggressively entering the market for the development of humanoid robots.

Their goal is improving automaking efficiency and finding new non-auto markets for the technology, and they may have the jump on much of the global competition. Indeed, the Chinese seem to be outpacing Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has said his company would begin deploying humanoid robots at some of its facilities by 2025. 

At Shanghai’s China Robotics Network Annual Conference in December, GAC unveiled “GoMate,” a humanoid robot equipped with artificial intelligence and remote-control capabilities to perform complex movements and carry heavy loads with its humanoid hands.

Guangzhou-based GAC is looking to start limited production of GoMate in 2026. Its target market is not just auto manufacturing. Indeed, the GoMate humanoid robot is also expected to play a role in security, elderly care and after-sales automotive services. This follows November’s launch by Guangzhou-based Xpeng of “Iron,” an AI-powered humanoid robot and Tesla’s unveiling of its Optimus multipurpose robot in October.

Xpeng says it already has been using the robots in its factories to help assemble cars.

In March, Brian Gu Hongdi, Xpeng’s vice-chairman and co-president, predicted the robotics industry would become larger than the automotive sector in the next few years, even if robots play a key role in vehicle manufacturing. 

Geely’s luxury BEV brand Zeekr in August deployed UBTech’s humanoid robot “Walker S Lite” at its smart factory in Ningbo. In a video released by the company, the robot is seen carrying loads from different pallets to various assembly lines. Walker S Lite can lift boxes weighing up to 33 lbs. (15 kg) and is equipped with a semantic navigation system, end-to-end imitation learning, visual precision control and full-body fine motion control. 

“The significant investments and progress being made by Chinese EV OEMs in the humanoid robot field signal a development that U.S. automakers will need to monitor and potentially respond to in the coming years,” says Freya Zhang, San Francisco-based EV research analyst at Tech Buzz China.  

“If these companies achieve breakthroughs in humanoid-robot technology and mass production, they could potentially gain a competitive edge in manufacturing automation and, possibly, also in future consumer markets for personal robots, thereby impacting global automakers, including those in the U.S.,”  she tells WardsAuto.

The synergies with BEVs serve as a key driver for Chinese automakers' advances into humanoid robots. Car companies possess significant expertise in areas crucial for humanoid robots, such as electric powertrains, sensors, machine vision, artificial intelligence, autonomous-driving algorithms and manufacturing.

GAC’s GoMate, for instance, integrates GAC’s self-developed pure-vision autonomous-driving algorithms. 

“U.S. automakers may need to accelerate their research and development in these areas to remain competitive with companies that are leveraging their automotive technology for advancements in robotics,” Zhang says. “This global race for innovation could incentivize U.S. automakers to invest more in robotics research and development and compete for talent in this emerging field.” 

While a key motivation for automakers in developing humanoid robots is cultivating alternative non-automotive markets, competitive advantages presented by deploying robots in automotive plants are being assessed.