GAC, XPeng, Honor Rush into Humanoid Robots as Mass Production and Real-World Applications Take Center Stage

This week, the humanoid robotics sector has seen a flurry of activity: GAC Group has spun off a new independent company, HuiLun Tech, dedicated to full-stack in-house development of embodied intelligent robots, with mass production targeted for 2027. XPeng announced plans to build the industry’s first end-to-end humanoid robot mass production facility in Guangzhou, aiming to become the first globally to achieve large-scale production of its advanced humanoid robot IRON by the end of 2026. Honor revealed it will unveil its first consumer-grade humanoid robot at MWC 2026, positioning itself as the world’s first smartphone maker to launch a humanoid robot. Additionally, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited Unitree Robotics, highlighting the growing global influence of Chinese robotics companies. Schaeffler has established a new company in Taicang focused on core robotic components. Qianxun Intelligence and ZhiPingFang have secured nearly RMB 2 billion and over RMB 1 billion in funding, respectively, accelerating deployment of their products in battery manufacturing lines and retail scenarios. NIO’s chip subsidiary, Shenji, raised RMB 2.2 billion to expand into embodied intelligence. Meanwhile, Faraday Future (FF) has begun deliveries of its EAI robots, entering the premium homestay service market.