The most realistic robotic gait to date.

First funding round and large-scale production.

If you’ve been following my posts here for a while, you surely remember Xpeng—that Chinese company that showcased a humanoid with such a realistic gait that they had to cut away the machine's clothing to reveal part of its skeleton because people simply didn't believe it was real. Well, the team is now accelerating plans to turn their humanoid robots into a new, large-scale business.

Xpeng’s robotics division—the company is already a major player in electric vehicles—raised over $900 million in its first funding round. According to the company, this set a new record for a single private funding round in China’s embodied AI sector. This deal pushed the robotics division's valuation past $6.3 billion. The funds will be used across various stages of development.

The company plans to invest those funds primarily in "Iron," the humanoid robot I mentioned earlier. The machine was designed with human-like proportions and movements, representing the company's attempt to transfer technology developed for smart vehicles into a robotic body. This link between cars and robots is significant because electric vehicle manufacturers are already working with many of the technologies needed to develop humanoids—including batteries, sensors, cameras, AI systems, software, and large-scale production lines.

Xpeng aims to leverage this very infrastructure to accelerate the development of its robotics division. The company has also set a production target: by the end of 2026, it plans to reach a capacity of approximately 1,000 Iron units per month. The initial robots will be deployed within the company's own stores and industrial facilities. Commercial sales and customer deliveries in China and other markets are scheduled to begin in 2027; however, Xpeng's strategy extends beyond factories. The company states that it intends to develop a general-purpose robot, meaning Iron will be gradually adapted for various environments rather than remaining confined to a single industrial task.

Initial commercial markets are expected to include small and medium-sized enterprises and retail businesses, with sales eventually opening up to the general public.