What happened
Why Nio, BYD, XPeng and other Chinese automakers are moving from electric vehicles into humanoid robots, and how their cost advantage challenges Tesla's Optimus.
[Electric & new energy vehicles](/topics/electric-cars?module=breadcrumb&pgtype=article)
[Business](/business?module=breadcrumb&pgtype=article)[China Business](/business/china-business?module=breadcrumb&pgtype=article)
# In FocusChina’s ‘Tesla imitators’ have a new mission: build affordable humanoid robots for consumers
Robotics has supply chain synergy with smart EV production because key components like cameras and radar, as well as software, are in both
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[Daniel Ren](/author/daniel-ren)in Shanghai
When Nio CEO William Li outlined earnings prospects for the Shanghai-based carmaker in March, he could not help but liken the automotive business to the development of robots.
“I think robotics will represent a natural extension of our carmaking capabilities and business acumen,” Li told reporters at a media briefing after Nio posted its [first-ever quarterly profits](https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3346142/chinese-ev-maker-nio-forecasts-surge-deliveries-after-first-quarterly-profit?module=inline&pgtype=article) for the three months ending December.
“Don’t you think that every car we produce in the future will actually be a robot? Its perception, decision-making, and execution will all be based on artificial intelligence.”
While Li has adopted a “latecomer” strategy in robotics to avoid potential big losses in early-stage investment, he is convinced that robotics and carmaking have synergistic benefits.
The premium cars Nio is building already embody perception, decision-making and control systems – similar to those of robots.
That perspective on the future of mobility, buoyed by rapid growth of physical AI, is typical of the more than 10 Chinese manufacturers of intelligent vehicles that have ventured into robotics.
These players, from BYD – the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) maker – to Stellantis-backed Leapmotor, are [once again being labelled as Tesla imitators](https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3341771/how-teslas-ai-shift-prompting-chinese-wannabes-expand-tech-offerings?module=inline&pgtype=article) because the US carmaker is accelerating commercialisation of its humanoid robot Optimus.
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BusinessChina Business
In FocusChina’s ‘Tesla imitators’ have a new mission: build affordable humanoid robots for consumers
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[Electric & new energy vehicles](/topics/electric-cars?module=breadcrumb&pgtype=article)
[Business](/business?module=breadcrumb&pgtype=article)[China Business](/business/china-business?module=breadcrumb&pgtype=article)
# In FocusChina’s ‘Tesla imitators’ have a new mission: build affordable humanoid robots for consumers
Robotics has supply chain synergy with smart EV production because key components like cameras and radar, as well as software, are in both
5-MIN READ5-MIN
Listen
[Daniel Ren](/author/daniel-ren)in Shanghai
When Nio CEO William Li outlined earnings prospects for the Shanghai-based carmaker in March, he could not help but liken the automotive business to the development of robots.
“I think robotics will represent a natural extension of our carmaking capabilities and business acumen,” Li told reporters at a media briefing after Nio posted its [first-ever quarterly profits](https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3346142/chinese-ev-maker-nio-forecasts-surge-deliveries-after-first-quarterly-profit?module=inline&pgtype=article) for the three months ending December.
“Don’t you think that every car we produce in the future will actually be a robot? Its perception, decision-making, and execution will all be based on artificial intelligence.”
While Li has adopted a “latecomer” strategy in robotics to avoid potential big losses in early-stage investment, he is convinced that robotics and carmaking have synergistic benefits.
The premium cars Nio is building already embody perception, decision-making and control systems – similar to those of robots.
That perspective on the future of mobility, buoyed by rapid growth of physical AI, is typical of the more than 10 Chinese manufacturers of intelligent vehicles that have ventured into robotics.
These players, from BYD – the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) maker – to Stellantis-backed Leapmotor, are [once again being labelled as Tesla imitators](https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3341771/how-teslas-ai-shift-prompting-chinese-wannabes-expand-tech-offerings?module=inline&pgtype=article) because the US carmaker is accelerating commercialisation of its humanoid robot Optimus.
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