THG News · Humanoids
XPeng Starts IRON Humanoid Production Lines, Targets Mass Production by Year-End
· Updated
XPeng has commissioned production lines for its IRON humanoid robot, and the first unit walked off one of the new lines on its own, the Guangzhou-based electric vehicle maker said on September 8, 2026. In a release from its European press office, the company described the step as the transition from research and development to serial production.
According to XPeng, more than 80% of core processes on the lines are automated, and the lines combine automotive-grade quality standards with precision manufacturing for humanoid robots. XPeng called them the world's first automated production lines built specifically for advanced humanoid robots. Chief executive He Xiaopeng said the robot production lines were built from scratch, according to the company.
Specifications
XPeng said IRON has 76 degrees of freedom across the body and 21 in each hand. The robot runs on three of the company's Turing AI chips, delivering up to 2,250 TOPS of effective computing power, XPeng said.
When XPeng unveiled the current IRON at its AI Day on November 5, 2025, it set a target of mass production by the end of 2026, Gasgoo reported at the time. At that event, XPeng pointed to commercial settings such as museums, auto showrooms and shopping centers, as well as inspection work at Baosteel facilities, according to Gasgoo.
Deployment and launch timeline
XPeng said mass production is scheduled for the end of 2026, with the first commercial rollouts taking place in XPeng's own stores and campuses. Its European press office said initial deployments will focus on guided tours, shopping assistance and accompanying patrols.
Official market launch and deliveries in China and overseas markets are planned for 2027, according to XPeng. The company has not announced external industrial customer pilots for IRON in its September statements.
Funding
XPeng said its robotics business has raised more than US$900 million at a post-money valuation of more than US$6.3 billion. The company described it as the largest single private capital raise in China's embodied AI industry.
The release also said XPeng's robotics program went through eight prototype generations over an eight-year development cycle.
- Lines commissioned: September 8, 2026, according to XPeng.
- Mass production: targeted by the end of 2026, the company said.
- First uses: XPeng stores and campuses, according to XPeng.
- Market launch: China and overseas deliveries planned for 2027, XPeng said.