According to a Reuters report, CEO He Xiaopeng will take over leadership of XPeng’s robotics division immediately as the company moves toward starting mass production of its humanoid robots by the end of the year.
- Shi Xiaoxin recently resigned as senior director of robotics product planning, according to the report.
- The Iron humanoid robot, introduced last year, is powered by XPeng’s proprietary AI technology and Turing chips.
- The humanoid bots are expected to be trialed in XPeng’s retail stores before being commercially available in China from 2027.
XPeng (XPEV) was in the spotlight on Wednesday, after its chief executive officer He Xiaopeng said that he will personally lead the robotics division as the EV maker aims to begin mass production of IRON humanoid robots by the end of 2026.
XPeng ADRs, which have been under selling pressure lately, were trading around 1% lower at the time of writing. XPeng is on track to end in the red for a sixth straight session, having shed more than 13% through Tuesday’s close.
CEO Xiaopeng To Drive IRON Project
According to a Reuters report on Wednesday, Xiaopeng said he would take over leadership of the robotics unit effective immediately as the company stands “on the eve of mass production and commercialization” of its humanoid robots.
“The (robot) industry is becoming increasingly hot and competitive, and we have clearly seen the direction and timing of victory, but it still requires more arduous implementation and extremely high decision-making ability,” Xiaopeng said in an internal letter reviewed by Reuters.
The announcement follows the resignation of Shi Xiaoxin, a senior executive involved in the IRON project. XPeng confirmed his departure but provided no further details, the report added.
What Is XPEV’s IRON Bot?
The IRON humanoid robot, introduced last year, is designed with human-like movement capabilities, flexible skin, and a curved display integrated into its head.
The robot is powered by the company’s proprietary AI technology and Turing chips. XPeng will use all-solid-state batteries to keep the robot lightweight and energy efficient. The company plans to initially deploy IRON in commercial service applications. The humanoid bots will be trialed in XPeng’s retail stores before being commercially available in China from 2027.
All Eyes On Tesla’s Optimus Bot Gen 3 Launch
The IRON bots have drawn comparisons with Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robots. In January this year, Tesla had said it would unveil the mass-production version of Optimus, called Gen 3, in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026.
However, during the company’s Q1 earnings call, Elon Musk said the robot is likely to be revealed in July or August. He added that the production version is nearly ready, though some design refinements are still being completed.
Retail’s Take On XPEV
Retail sentiment for XPEV on Stocktwits has remained in the ‘bearish’ zone over the past 24 hours.
One user highlighted the difference between Tesla’s and Xpeng’s current operations.
View this Stocktwits post
The stock has slumped 24% so far this year.
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