XPeng aims to become a physical AI company like Tesla, planning global launch of its humanoid robot IRON next year. The Chinese EV maker targets monthly production capacity of over 1,000 IRON units by end of this year, ahead of the 2027 global rollout.

The company plans to deploy IRON as a shopping assistant at its own stores across China in the first quarter of 2027 before expanding to overseas outlets later that year. This move underscores XPeng's push to deploy AI and autonomous-driving technology developed for EVs into humanoid robots.

Automakers see growing overlap between AI models, perception systems and motion control in robotics. XPeng's strategy mirrors Tesla's approach of leveraging automotive AI for broader physical AI applications.