XPENG Raises More Than $900 Million for Humanoid Robots

    Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer XPENG has announced that its robotics division, which is developing humanoid robots, has raised more than $900 million in investment. The company describes this as the robotics business's first funding round. The timing of the investment is particularly noteworthy. XPENG plans to begin mass production of its IRON humanoid robot by the end of this year. The new funding will help the company expand its manufacturing and technological capabilities to achieve this goal.    IRON was first unveiled at XPENG AI Day in November 2025. The robot is powered by the Turing artificial intelligence chips also used in the company's electric vehicles. XPENG says this allows it to develop automotive and robotics technologies on a single platform. The humanoid robot has more than 60 movable joints. Its spine can move with five degrees of freedom. In addition, a special structure that XPENG calls “bionic muscle fascia” is used to make the robot's movements appear smoother and more humanlike.    The IRON currently being shown to the public is a seventh-generation prototype. The company plans to mass-produce the eighth-generation version. XPENG wants the robot's core functions to be fully ready before the production line begins operating.