XPENG Unveils Iron Humanoid Robot, Already Operational in EV Factory

At its AI Technology Day, Chinese electric vehicle maker XPENG unveiled Iron, its first humanoid robot. The robot is roughly the size of a human, standing 5'8" tall and weighing 154 pounds. XPENG says Iron is already working on production lines assembling their upcoming P7+ electric vehicle.

Iron's AI capabilities stem from the same technology powering XPENG's autonomous vehicles. The robot uses an end-to-end large AI model integrated with their Eagle Vision system. This allows it to walk autonomously, simulate human postures like standing, sitting, and even lying down, and carry out manual tasks using its articulated limbs. With more than 60 joints and 200 degrees of freedom, Iron has the agility needed for complex movement—including using its 15-degree-of-freedom hands to feel, grasp, hold, and place objects in its environment.

The robot’s brain is powered by XPENG's proprietary Turing AI chip, a 40-core processor capable of reasoning and decision-making. According to XPENG, the Turing chip gives Iron the ability to “think”, enabling its dexterity and adaptability to different scenarios—whether it’s performing quality checks in a factory or eventually being integrated into homes and offices. “The end-to-end large model gives it the ability to walk, and fingers that can perform tasks including grasping, holding, and placing items,” XPENG said in a statement, highlighting the AI's capabilities.

Iron is not just a proof-of-concept; XPENG says it’s already active in its factories, working alongside traditional automation equipment to help assemble components for vehicles like the P7+ electric sedan. This early integration marks XPENG's commitment to pushing beyond the auto industry and extending their technological footprint into humanoid robotics, offering the prospect of increased productivity and precision in industrial applications.

But XPENG has bigger ambitions for Iron. The company revealed plans to expand the humanoid’s role beyond the factory floor—aiming to deploy Iron in retail environments, offices, and even homes in the near future. With its human-like hands, voice interaction capabilities via XPENG's Tianji AIOS, and the flexibility to perform a range of activities, XPENG envisions Iron as a versatile companion for various aspects of daily life.

This strategic move aligns with XPENG's broader AI-driven ambitions. The company has been expanding its product line to include more AI-driven and electric solutions, including new vehicle platforms, extended-range systems, and even robotaxi models planned for 2026. By developing Iron, XPENG is diversifying into robotics, adding another layer to its competitive edge in the race for smarter, more automated ecosystems.

If Iron's launch strategy sounds familiar, it's because it's essentially a carbon copy of Tesla's playbook of leveraging their AI expertise from autonomous driving to power its Optimus robot. Iron's design and build isn't original either. Figure AI CEO Brett Adcock accused XPENG of copying the spine and hip design of its first generation robot—one the company has since moved away from.

China's rapid growth in AI and robotics is something that should not be underestimated—even if some of their current strategies involve copying successful Western companies. We've seen this before: China initially copied Western designs in smartphones and electric vehicles, only to eventually dominate these markets through manufacturing scale and aggressive innovation. Today, Chinese companies lead in global EV sales and production, while companies like Huawei and Xiaomi have evolved from imitators to innovators in smartphones. The robotics sector could follow a similar trajectory.

China's established manufacturing infrastructure, combined with aggressive government investment in advanced robotics research and development, gives companies like XPENG significant advantages in scaling production. The United States cannot afford to fall behind in this field, as China's accelerated push into AI and robotics might soon translate into a substantial global lead in both innovation and deployment.