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 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