Global automakers are racing to pivot their business direction toward the humanoid sector. This is a strategic gambit to preemptively capture the humanoid market, projected to reach $5 trillion by around 2050, leveraging their manufacturing expertise specialized in physical AI.
According to leading U.S. automotive media Automotive News, Reuters, and others on Feb. 18 (local time), Mercedes-Benz is conducting trial operations of the humanoid robot ‘Apollo’ at its Hungarian plant in collaboration with American robot startup Apptronik. Earlier, BMW completed an 11-month commercialization test at the end of last year, including deploying ‘Figure 02’ robots from another U.S. startup Figure AI into body assembly processes at its Spartanburg plant in the United States.
Chinese EV makers have also jumped into the fierce race. Xpeng is launching mass production of its humanoid robot ‘Iron’ starting this year. The goal is to start with 1,000 units this year and produce 1 million units by 2030. Li Auto, which had suspended its humanoid robot project two years ago, announced the resumption of the project last month and completed organizational restructuring.
Leading players Tesla and Hyundai Motor Group have already declared their leap into becoming physical AI companies, spearheading with their technologically acclaimed robots. Tesla has decided to discontinue sales of its flagship sedan ‘Model S’ and sport utility vehicle (SUV) ‘Model X’ during the second quarter of this year (April–June) and convert the production line at its Fremont EV plant in the United States, which had been manufacturing these vehicles, into a mass production base for ‘Optimus.’ Hyundai Motor Group’s ‘Atlas’ is scheduled to be deployed at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America starting in 2028. The target for Atlas mass production is 30,000 units annually.
The ability of automakers to quickly enter the robot competition is interpreted as being due to the characteristics of the automotive industry. The production facilities and data used to manufacture automobiles at scale—complex machines equipped with large amounts of software and sensors—serve as the foundation for robot development and mass production. The fact that ‘self-sufficiency’ is possible before securing external customers also lowers the entry barrier. Companies can first utilize their own robots in their own factories, which produce millions of vehicles annually. They can also resell the robots to customers after use. Automotive News also analyzed that “because the automotive industry is facing low profit margins and other challenges, the robot industry is suitable as a target for portfolio diversification.”
Morgan Stanley, in its May report last year, projected that a total of 1 billion humanoid robots will be in operation by 2050 and forecast that the market size will reach $5 trillion. This is a level surpassing the current global automotive industry size(in the $4 trillion range). Auto parts companies are also joining this expanding market. Last month, Israeli auto parts company Mobileye announced that it would acquire humanoid robot startup Mentee Robotics for $900 million.
