Chinese state-owned automaker Changan Automobile has entered the humanoid robotics sector, following U.S. competitor Tesla. In a filing on Friday, the Shenzhen-listed automaker revealed plans to invest ¥225 million to acquire a 50% share in Changan Tianshu Intelligent Robotics Technology.
The company revealed at the Guangzhou auto show last month that it will begin rolling out prototypes of its own humanoid robots starting next year. It also aims to introduce its first in-car robot in the first quarter of the coming year.
The automaker’s initiative reflects a wider shift among Chinese automakers, including BYD, Xpeng, and Xiaomi, who are extensively exploring the robotics sector to complement their core operations.
Changan Tianshu is a part of Changan Automobile’s strategy to tap into the robotics industry. The subsidiary will be powered by intelligent humanoid robot technology and is intended to develop multiple sectors of the robotics industry and to create mutual empowerment between smart vehicles and robotic systems.
Chinese automakers’ rapid push into robotics comes as Beijing raises concerns about a potential bubble in the sector. On Thursday, Li Chao, spokesperson for the National Development and Reform Commission, China’s chief economic planning body, warned that the industry is still not fully developed.
Li noted that China now has more than 150 humanoid robot companies, with over half being start-ups or firms entering from other industries. He stressed the need to prevent the risk of the market being saturated with highly repetitive products.
Xpeng—one of China’s leading premium EV manufacturers—recently introduced the second-generation Iron humanoid robot, describing it as humanlike and targeting mass production next year.
Meanwhile, Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun has emphasized the promise of humanoid robots, predicting they would be ‘widely deployed’ across the company’s factories within the next five years.
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