Xpeng Unveils Next-Gen “IRON” Humanoid Robot at 2025 AI Day

XPeng (NYSE: XPEV) revealed its next-generation humanoid robot, named IRON, during its 2025 AI Day event in Guangzhou on 5 November 2025. The new model was demonstrated with a catwalk-style performance exhibiting natural, fluid motion and human-like posture—a level of realism that prompted some social-media speculation as to whether a person was concealed inside.

According to XPeng Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng, the new robot features passive degrees of freedom in its toes to enable a light stride. Compared with the 2024 version (which stood 178 cm tall at 70 kg), the 2025 IRON adds a humanoid spine, bionic muscles, flexible skin, a head-mounted 3D curved display and a hand equipped with 22 degrees of freedom.

On the technical front, IRON is driven by XPeng’s second-generation “Vision-Language-Action” (VLA) large model and three in-house developed Turing AI chips, delivering 2,250 TOPS of computing power. It also uses an all-solid-state battery design, aiming for lighter weight, higher energy density and improved safety.

XPeng said the robot will first be applied in commercial service scenarios—such as reception, guiding or industrial inspection—rather than home use or high-volume factory work. In support of this, the company launched a software development kit (SDK) for global developers and announced a partnership with Chinese steel-producer Baoshan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. (commonly “Baosteel”) for deployment in inspection and industrial environments. The company aims for mass production of IRON by the end of 2026.

Analysts note that while the announcement positions XPeng’s robotics ambitions alongside those of Tesla, Inc., the timetable and commercial readiness remain cautious. The company has previously indicated plans to invest up to CNY 100 billion (~US$13.8 billion) in humanoid robotics over the next decade.

In sum, XPeng has moved from electric vehicles into robotics with the IRON platform as a physical-AI anchor. However, broader deployment and industrial scale-up remain to be seen.

Sources: Xpeng