Tesla's Optimus May Soon Have Company as China's BYD Confirms Its First Humanoid Robot Will Debut in August
China already dominates early humanoid production. Reuters reported that Chinese companies shipped about 90% of the roughly 13,000 humanoid robots delivered worldwide in 2025, although researchers continue to question how quickly the machines can perform un...
Key takeaways
- The most recent developments show that humanoid robots are becoming both a commercial focus and a geopolitical flashpoint.
- In the United States, the federal government announced a ban on imports of foreign‑made humanoid and quadruped robots, specifically targeting Chinese manufacturers on national‑security grounds, a move that will cut off the dominant Chinese market share—estimated at roughly 85%—from its largest export market (U.S. ban reported in late July 2026).
- At the same time, major U.S. airlines have tightened safety rules: Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have joined Southwest in prohibiting human‑ or animal‑like robotic devices from cabin or checked‑baggage areas, citing battery‑safety concerns (policy updates issued in June and July 2026).
- In China, electric‑vehicle giant BYD confirmed it will unveil its first commercial humanoid robot in August at its Di Space experience centres, planning to place two or three robots in every BYD store within the next few years (announcement made July 28‑29, 2026).
- Meanwhile, Google DeepMind released Gemini Robotics 2, a vision‑language‑action model that can control an entire humanoid body—including walking, balancing and dexterous hand manipulation—using Apptronik’s Apollo 2 platform, highlighting a shift toward foundation‑model intelligence across diverse robot hardware (demo unveiled July 30, 2026).
China already dominates early humanoid production. Reuters reported that Chinese companies shipped about 90% of the roughly 13,000 humanoid robots delivered worldwide in 2025, although researchers continue to question how quickly the machines can perform unscripted, economically useful work at scale.
Samsung, Hyundai And Rivian Join Push
The field is widening. Samsung Electronics recently created a CEO-level Robotics eXperience division to accelerate humanoid development and commercialization. Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd. plans to deploy Boston Dynamics' Atlas robots at its Georgia factory from 2028. BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li, in an interview in June, framed retail as the robot's first practical market. "My goal is to place two or three robots in every store," she said, describing machines that could explain products, demonstrate vehicles and interact with customers. She said robots should support salespeople rather than replace the emotional connection human staff provide.
The company formed a dedicated humanoid robotics laboratory in late 2024 and has invested in Chinese robotics developers while testing machines from Unitree and UBTech in its factories. BYD has denied reports claiming it already deployed 150 in-house humanoids or planned 20,000 units this year.
Tesla Competition Accelerates Humanoid Robot Race
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