GUANGZHOU, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese electric vehicle maker XPeng on Tuesday launched a production line for humanoid robots. The company aims to begin sales and deliveries of these robots in both China and overseas markets by 2027.
Its advanced general-purpose humanoid robot IRON completed automated final assembly and walked off the production line on its own at the launch, marking XPeng's shift from R&D and trial production to line-based manufacturing.
Mass production has been a major challenge for the humanoid-robot industry, which has traditionally depended on small-batch manufacturing and labor-intensive semi-manual assembly.
The company said the production line was designed specifically for large-scale robot manufacturing, drawing on quality-control practices used in the auto industry. More than 80 percent of the production line's core manufacturing processes are automated, XPeng said.
XPeng Chairman He Xiaopeng said the company had built the robot production line from scratch and would continue working to shorten production cycles and expand manufacturing capacity.
After entering mass production, IRON robots will initially be deployed at XPeng stores and internal industrial parks. They are expected to handle tasks including customer reception, vehicle introductions, visitor guidance, inspections and small-item handling.
XPeng said the robots will be tested first in its own commercial and industrial settings, allowing the company to refine their algorithms through real-world use before a broader market rollout in 2027.
China's humanoid robot industry is entering a critical stage of large-scale commercialization and deployment, as embodied intelligence products move from small-batch trials to broader adoption, Xu Xiaolan, chairwoman of the Chinese Institute of Electronics, said at the 2026 World Robot Conference held last month in Beijing. ■
