Forget car factories: China's Xpeng is building a factory where robots make robots

Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng has released a video showing its next-generation IRON humanoid robot being assembled on an automated production line and then walking off the line on its own, without any human switching it on. The company said this is the world’s first automated production line for advanced general-purpose humanoid robots, where robots mass-produce robots autonomously.

In the video shared on X by chairman and chief executive He Xiaopeng, the robot walks off the production line towards him, stops, and waits while he places a card around its neck. He said: "Today, we launched the world’s first automated production line for advanced general-purpose humanoid robots, using robots to mass-produce robots autonomously."

He said the IRON unit shown in the clip was the company’s first advanced general-purpose humanoid robot to be assembled and walk off the line by itself. He added that Xpeng would expand the production line. The company said more than 80 per cent of the line’s core processes are automated. He also said, "This was uncharted territory, and we solved it from scratch."

What does Xpeng plan next

Xpeng said the production line brings together automotive-grade quality systems from its electric vehicle business and precision robot manufacturing. The company said the robots are set to enter mass production by the end of the year, with the first rollouts planned at its own stores and campuses. Their official launch and deliveries in China and overseas markets are scheduled for 2027.

He said he hoped the robot would develop what he called "true generalisation ability" so it could handle dangerous, repetitive, or undesirable tasks and "ultimately make life better". He added: "Perhaps one day, robots may become our companions, friends, or part of family."

What is IRON?

IRON was first unveiled at Xpeng’s AI Day last November, where it gained attention for its smooth movements. It has 76 degrees of freedom across its body and 21 in each hand, and uses a fully enclosed flexible lattice structure designed to balance a human-like form with safety.

Xpeng said IRON runs on three in-house Turing AI chips delivering up to 2,250 TOPS of effective computing power. It said this allows its Physical AI foundation model to run directly on the robot for complex tasks without remote operation.