LoginXpeng Cut Open Its Robot On Stage To Prove It Wasn’t A Human
- The Iron humanoid robot walks and talks almost exactly like a human.
- Xpeng believes the robot market is far bigger than the car market.
- Other Chinese brands like BYD, Nio, and Chery are developing robots.
You might assume that Tesla has the humanoid robot stage to itself, but several Chinese automakers are also sprinting toward the same goal. Among them, EV startup Xpeng is taking the lead, planning to start production of its humanoid robot in late 2026 with ambitions to sell millions of them around the globe.
Over the past several years, Xpeng’s flagship robot has progressed from an autonomous dog similar to what Boston Dynamics pioneered, and has now entered its seventh generation and morphed into Iron, a humanoid robot very similar to the Tesla Bot.
Read: Xpeng Is Turning Its EVs Into Long-Distance Hybrids With Nearly 1,000 Miles Of Range
Iron runs on Xpeng’s in-house Vision-Language-Action 2.0 AI model and made its debut at a lavish launch event in China.
In a rather theatrical move, Xpeng silenced skeptics who suggested the figure on stage was a person in disguise. After clips of Iron walking in a pristine white suit spread online, rumors surfaced that it was simply a performer inside the shell.
To dispel any doubt, Xpeng brought Iron out onto the stage and proceeded to cut open the robot’s leg, revealing the mechanical components found within.
The Robot Potential
Xpeng chief executive and co-founder He Xiaopeng believes that producing humanoid robots like Iron will eventually come down to the same cost as manufacturing cars. He also sees “the market potential for robots is greater than that for cars”, revealing that the robot will be present in Xpeng stores, office parks, and factories by the end of next year.
According to JPMorgan, Xpeng’s next big leap in 2026–27 depends on how well its wider AI empire comes together, a mix of robotaxis, humanoid robots, and even flying cars. The American bank’s report predicts the robotaxi arm alone could add between US$6 billion and US$19 billion in value by 2035, while the humanoid side might deliver as much as US$24 billion by 2027, assuming all those timelines hold.
It’s not just Xpeng diving headfirst into robotics.
Who Else Is Building?
As reported by the South China Morning Post, Chery is collaborating with AI developer Aimoga on a humanoid robot called Mornine. Meanwhile, BYD, GAC, and Seres are pouring millions into robotic projects of their own, and Nio has announced plans for a robotic dog
Across China, more than two million robots are estimated to be already operate in factories, and that figure is set to keep climbing as automation becomes a cornerstone of industrial strategy.
