Xpeng boss to head robot unit with humanoid mass production imminent

BEIJING, June 10 (Reuters) - The chief executive of Xpeng said on Wednesday he would personally lead the company’s robotics business, as the Chinese electric vehicle maker — emerging as a frontrunner in humanoid robotics among automakers — pushes toward mass production by year-end.

"The (robot) industry is becoming increasingly hot and competitive, and we have clearly seen the direction and timing of victory, but it still requires more arduous implementation and extremely high decision-making ability," Xpeng CEO He Xiaopeng said in an internal letter reviewed by Reuters.

He said the decision to take on the role of "CEO" of the robotics unit, effective immediately, comes "on the eve of mass production and commercialisation" of Xpeng's humanlike IRON robots, which debuted last year.

The announcement follows market talk that Shi Xiaoxin, a core executive involved in the IRON project, had left the company earlier this month. Xpeng confirmed on Wednesday that Shi had resigned as senior director of robotics product planning, without giving further details.

The EV maker, pivoting toward "physical AI" encompassing humanoids, robotaxis and flying cars, has set a goal of starting mass production of IRON robots by the end of 2026.

The humanoids are expected to see trial use in Xpeng's retail stores before being delivered to commercial customers in China and overseas from 2027 when robotics hardware and related AI models are set to become one of the main drivers of revenue and gross margins, He said on an earnings call in late May.

Xpeng's first-quarter revenue fell 17.6% year on year while its net losses widened from the year before, reversing its first-ever quarterly break-even in the fourth quarter.

(Reporting by Qiaoyi Li and Kevin Krolicki)