Xpeng envisions humanoid robots as a long-term project. They are considering substantial investments that could reach 100 billion yuan ($13.80 billion), according to CEO He Xiaopeng.
The Securities Times reported that He Xiaopeng stated the company’s current investment is conservative because they are in the early stages, but they are ready to invest much more.
He said, “Xpeng has been working in the humanoid robot industry for five years, may continue to be in the business for another 20 years, invest additional 50 billion yuan and even 100 billion yuan.” He did not disclose the company’s current investment.
The Guangzhou-based EV maker entered the humanoid robot industry in 2020 and introduced its humanoid Iron in November to compete with Tesla Bot.
Xpeng is one of many automakers betting on humanoids, a field where Chinese policymakers desire tech breakthroughs.
Leapmotor, backed by Stellantis, has established a robotics team of dozens of people. CEO Zhu Jiangming told reporters on Tuesday that they are in the pre-research stage. He said the products are aimed at industrial adoption, such as Leapmotor factory assemblies, where robots can improve work efficiency by replacing humans.
He said automakers could invest 1-2 billion yuan per year to deploy humanoid robots in applicable scenarios, as reported by the Economic View on Tuesday.
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