Carmakers branch out into robotics

Vehicle assembly workshops — known for high labor intensity — serve as ideal real-world test beds for humanoid robots, enabling automakers to build a closed loop of in-house scenario deployment, iteration and validation.

Tesla's Optimus robots are operating in its factories worldwide. Its Shanghai Gigafactory has deployed 50 Gen 3 robots since the second quarter of 2026 for tasks such as seat installation and quality inspection, building practical experience to support global robot deployment.

Dongfeng Motor's humanoid robots have also been deployed on the front lines of auto production, handling production line material sorting and smart park inspections — tasks that require high-intensity, repetitive labor. Shi Shuai, a partner in the automotive team at Roland Berger China, said humanoid robotics remains in its early commercial stage. Most global deployments are still confined to tests and prototype validation, with large-scale mass adoption likely years away. Still, rising labor demand and falling industry costs have unlocked a substantial long-term upside.

The consulting firm predicted that the global humanoid robot market will reach $300 billion by 2035 under baseline scenarios and $750 billion in optimistic cases. The sector could exceed $4 trillion by 2050 — rivaling the current scale of the global automotive industry — if technological iteration, supply chain maturity and application expansion maintain their current momentum.

caoyingying@chinadaily.com.cn

XPeng secured more than $900 million in the first round of financing for its robotics business last week, pushing the unit's post-money valuation above $6.3 billion. The deal marks the largest single private equity fundraising round in China's embodied intelligence sector to date, underscoring investor confidence in automakers' push into next-generation robotics.