SAIC Welcomes First Humanoid Robot Employee; Tesla Optimus Gen 3 Set for Mass Production

This week has seen a flurry of activity in the fields of intelligent vehicles and robotics: SAIC Motor officially deployed its first humanoid robot employee, "Nengzai No.1," on the battery production line for the Buick ZhiJing E7. Co-developed by SAIC-GM and Agility Robotics, the robot handles core tasks such as cell handling, marking SAIC’s entry into the era of embodied intelligence in smart manufacturing. Tesla released a new video showcasing its Optimus robot, revealing key technical details including a high-power inverter and dexterous hands. The company confirmed that production of Optimus Gen 3 will begin this summer, with mass production expected by 2027. Additionally, XPeng Motors established a dedicated Robotaxi business unit and plans to launch passenger-carrying pilot operations in the second half of this year. RoboSense reported its first-ever quarterly profit, with robot LiDAR sales surging 2,565.1% year-over-year. Meanwhile, Hesai Group announced revenue exceeding RMB 3 billion for 2025 and aims to ship 3 million LiDAR units in 2026.