TLDRs;
- Elon Musk praised Xpeng’s new Iron humanoid robot, saying China and Tesla will dominate robotics.
- Xpeng’s Iron stunned viewers with its lifelike movements, sparking viral debate on social media.
- CEO He Xiaopeng confirmed through unedited video that Iron is a robot, not a human in disguise.
- Xpeng plans to mass-produce humanoid robots by 2026, aiming to challenge Tesla’s Optimus project.
Elon Musk has turned his attention to China’s fast-rising robotics industry after being impressed by Xpeng’s new humanoid robot, “Iron.”
The next-generation model, revealed at Xpeng’s 2025 AI Day, showcased an unprecedented level of lifelike realism, sparking online debate and catching the eye of the Tesla CEO himself.
“Not bad… Tesla and China companies will dominate the market,” Musk remarked in an online chat, according to local media outlet Sohu Tech. He went on to say, “Other companies in the West are weak,” while expressing admiration for Chinese innovation and work ethic.
“I have great respect for China competition. So many smart, hardworking people in China,” Musk added, a comment that reignited discussions about the global AI race between American and Chinese tech firms.
Unveiling the Lifelike “Iron” Robot
At the November 5 event, Xpeng unveiled its next-generation Iron humanoid robot, a significant leap forward from its first model launched in 2024. Unlike the earlier version, the new Iron features a female design and performed a catwalk on stage, displaying humanlike motion, balance, and posture that captivated the audience.
The robot’s natural movements were so realistic that many viewers suspected a person might be hidden inside the machine. Within hours, the suspicion spread across Chinese social media platforms, quickly becoming a trending topic.
To silence the speculation, Xpeng Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng shared an unedited video on Weibo demonstrating that Iron is indeed fully robotic. The clip showed detailed footage of Iron’s hand joints, facial sensors, and the microphone array built near its ears, confirming that what audiences saw was pure engineering, not stagecraft.
China’s Robotics Edge Strengthens
He Xiaopeng described the online reactions as both “delighted and amused,” emphasizing that the disbelief among viewers reflects how rapidly robotics technology is advancing.
“This truly leaves our robotics team both delighted and amused. Some people just can’t believe how fast the world is changing,” He wrote on Weibo.
Underneath the robot’s synthetic skin lies Xpeng’s proprietary second-generation VLA (Vision-Language-Action) model, a neural architecture that integrates visual recognition, natural language understanding, and coordinated movement. The Iron is powered by three in-house Turing AI chips, producing an impressive 2,250 trillion operations per second (TOPS).
The combination enables Iron to walk, talk, and interact in real time, representing one of the most advanced humanoid systems ever unveiled by a Chinese automaker.
Race Toward Mass Production
Xpeng aims to begin mass production of its humanoid robots by late 2026, signaling an ambitious move to diversify beyond electric vehicles.
The company sees robotics as the next frontier of intelligent mobility, where machines and humans can collaborate seamlessly in workplaces, homes, and factories.
Musk’s acknowledgment underscores a growing trend: China’s robotics and AI ecosystem is closing the gap and in some areas, surpassing Western rivals. While Tesla continues to develop its Optimus robot, Musk’s comments reveal a rare moment of admiration for a competitor’s breakthrough.
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