- A BYD offline experience venue released a teaser poster hinting that a new humanoid robot will debut in early August.
- A BYD executive said last month that she hopes every BYD store will eventually be staffed with robots.
BYD (HKEX: 1211) may be about to show a humanoid robot to the public for the first time, after company executives previously confirmed its entry into the field.
The WeChat account of BYD’s Di Space Zhengzhou venue posted a teaser poster of a humanoid robot on Saturday, hinting that the product will make its first public appearance in early August.
Notably, the account is a local channel for BYD’s offline science education and experience venues, not the company’s main official platform. BYD has yet to confirm the timing of the reveal or any product details.
Still, Di Space is positioned for hands-on, interactive displays. That has led to widespread expectations that the early-August event will be more than a concept unveiling, and instead the first public showing of a physical prototype.
A teaser poster by the WeChat account of BYD’s Di Space Zhengzhou venue.
BYD executives have already sent repeated signals. Its executive vice president Stella Li said last month that she hopes every BYD store will eventually be staffed with robots that introduce and demonstrate vehicles to customers.
“My goal is to put two or three robots in every store,” Li said. Robots can explain products to customers, liven up the atmosphere, and even showcase vehicles.
Humanoid robots for households and the service industry will be a huge market for BYD, and robot sales consultants could become practical within the next year or two, she said.
Still, showroom robots cannot replace the “emotional connection” between human salespeople and customers, Li said. “We still need human employees, but robotics can help us improve our service further.”
BYD set up a dedicated team as early as the end of 2024 to develop embodied artificial intelligence products, including humanoid robots, under its 15th Business Division, according to a local media report at that time.
Li previously said automotive AI capabilities share the same roots as robotics technology, giving carmakers a natural advantage.
BYD also plans to build an open robot platform that will produce both its own in-house robots and products co-developed with other companies, she said.
Carmakers moving into robotics has become a trend in China. Aimoga, a brand incubated by Chery (HKEX: 9973), has begun selling humanoid robots to consumers, while SAIC-GM has deployed wheeled humanoid robots on a battery assembly line.
Xpeng (NYSE: XPEV) aims to begin mass production of its humanoid robot, Iron, by the end of this year.
William Li, founder, chairman, and CEO of Nio Inc (NYSE: NIO), said in March that the company would currently focus on selling more cars. However, the company’s chip subsidiary, GeniTech Co Ltd (Shenji), launched the “Ruidong” embodied intelligence development platform at a major AI event earlier this month.
BYD is already a user of humanoid robots itself. UBTech Robotics (HKEX: 9880) said in November 2024 that collaborative operations between its humanoid robots and driverless vehicles had been put into use at a BYD plant.
PaXini completed a funding round of over 1 billion yuan ($148 million) in March, pushing its valuation above 10 billion yuan.
