Major automotive companies are increasingly investing in robotics, sparking a cross-industry trend.
At the recently opened 2025 Guangzhou International Auto Show, the spotlight seems to have shifted away from cars: automotive companies generally did not present disruptive new technologies in the automotive field, but instead showcased humanoid robots as new selling points. GAC Group displayed the fourth-generation embodied intelligent robot GoMate Mini, while Xpeng Motors brought its new generation humanoid robot IRON to the stage.
As smart automotive technology temporarily enters a “window period,” humanoid robots have taken the “C position” at the Guangzhou Auto Show. Behind this is the trend of major automotive companies investing in robotics. In addition to GAC and Xpeng, companies like SAIC, BYD, Changan, and Chery have also entered the humanoid robot arena, with Tesla viewing robots as the “future” of the company.
This cross-industry trend has its rationale; the underlying technologies of robots and smart cars share commonalities. Functions and solutions such as intelligent perception, autonomous movement, route planning, and human-machine dialogue in cars can be transferred to robots. Just as some companies approach car manufacturing with a smartphone mindset, many automotive companies are also applying a “car-making mindset” to robot development. They hope to leverage their advantages in smart manufacturing, motion control, branding, and user engagement to establish a new track that translates into performance and valuation growth as a “second curve.”
In this wave of cross-industry enthusiasm, it is essential to maintain a cold reflection. The business logic and commercial stage of humanoid robots differ from those of cars, requiring high-intensity investment and long return cycles. Market education and ecosystem development will demand significant time and financial resources. If automotive companies blindly invest in the humanoid robot field, it may lead to long-term cash flow constraints and even trigger liquidity crises.
Moreover, the automotive industry has not yet fully emerged from the shadows of “price wars”; in the first nine months, the overall profit margin of China’s automotive industry was only 4.5%, below the average level of downstream industrial enterprises. In the third quarter, the combined profits of listed automotive companies in China were less than that of Toyota alone.
The author believes that the layout of humanoid robots should be a long-term strategy based on technological extensibility and genuine market demand, rather than a capital game chasing trends. By more cautiously balancing innovative investments and financial health, automotive companies can go further in the humanoid robot arena until the day of “spring blossoms.”
Editor: Li Dan
Proofreader: Pan Da
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