Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng is making a long-term push into humanoid robots, with potential investments reaching up to 100 billion yuan ($13.8 billion), according to CEO He Xiaopeng. Speaking at the annual parliamentary session, He described the company's current investment as conservative but signalled a willingness to scale up significantly over the next two decades. Xpeng, which entered the humanoid robotics sector in 2020, unveiled its Iron humanoid robot last November, positioning it as a rival to Tesla's Bot.

Chinese automakers are increasingly venturing into robotics, encouraged by policymakers aiming for breakthroughs in the field. Stellantis-backed Leapmotor has also joined the race, forming a robotics team to develop machines for industrial applications such as factory assembly lines. CEO Zhu Jiangming stated that these robots are intended to enhance efficiency by replacing human labour in production processes.

Xpeng's CEO suggested that automakers could invest between 1-2 billion yuan per year in developing and deploying humanoid robots in real-world scenarios. As the industry shifts towards automation, carmakers are betting that advanced robotics will play a crucial role in future manufacturing and mobility solutions.