XPENG's Iron humanoid robot autonomously walked off its newly operational production line after assembly, marking a step toward mass production planned for year-end. Chairman He Xiaopeng even awarded it a staff badge. The company announced that over 80 percent of the line's core processes are automated, adapting quality systems from its vehicle business. Iron features 76 degrees of freedom across its body and 21 in each hand, with three Turing AI chips delivering up to 2,250 trillion operations per second for onboard AI processing. XPENG plans to deploy Iron in its stores and campuses first, handling reception, guided tours, and sales assistance, with deliveries in China and overseas markets planned for 2027. No US availability or price was announced. Tesla is also pursuing humanoid robots, converting Model S and X lines for Optimus. Meanwhile, Figure has produced over 350 Figure 03 robots, and BMW has used Figure's earlier Figure 02 for sheet-metal welding at its Spartanburg plant, supporting production of more than 30,000 BMW X3s over ten months. Everyday performance of these robots remains to be established.

XPENG did not reveal the line's current output or how much testing was conducted before Iron's walk. While the autonomous walk is a symbolic milestone, it does not confirm the robot's ability to complete a full working day. Independent safety evaluations have not been provided.