BYD Confirms Development of Humanoid Robots
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Chinese electric vehicle company, BYD, has officially confirmed that it is developing humanoid robots.
The Executive Vice President of BYD, Li Ke, as quoted by Carnewschina on Thursday local time, said that the main factors that will determine competitiveness in the humanoid robot sector are manufacturing capabilities, software, and hardware.
He added that the artificial intelligence (AI) used in vehicles and robotics technology has the same technological foundation.
If humanoid robots eventually become household products, BYD has the potential to market these products through its existing dealer network.
Li Ke explained that BYD’s expertise in developing automotive AI can be applied to robotics because both industries rely on perception capabilities, decision-making, motion control, software integration, and hardware engineering.
In addition, the manufacturer has large-scale manufacturing experience, the ability to manage supply chains, and expertise in developing safety-related systems.
These similarities have prompted a number of Chinese automotive manufacturers to explore robotics as an extension of the technology they have developed in the vehicle industry.
Not only that, Li Ke said that BYD can adopt an open platform approach and not limit itself to products developed internally.
Through this approach, BYD can produce its own robots while collaborating with other robotics companies.
This business model is similar to BYD’s strategy in the automotive sector, where the company develops core technologies independently but still utilizes a broad network of suppliers and partners.
However, BYD has not yet revealed the commercialization schedule, technical specifications, investment value, or production targets for the humanoid robot.
In April, Chery was reported to have started selling humanoid robots online.
The robot is equipped with a 0.7 kWh battery and is marketed at a price of 280,000 yuan (IDR 741 million).
This makes Chery one of the first major Chinese automotive manufacturers to commercialize humanoid robot products.
Another player in the industry is XPeng, which is increasingly linking the company’s AI development strategy with future robotics applications.
The company views artificial intelligence, autonomous driving technology, and embodied AI as interconnected technology fields.
Previously, XPeng also introduced high-precision, navigation-free driving technology and a Level 4 robotaxi service plan, demonstrating the increasing connection between automotive AI development and robotics.