- XPeng completed a small-batch run of dedicated solid-state batteries for its IRON humanoid, signaling a move from validation toward production readiness to fit tight robot packaging constraints.
- Battery is high-energy-density, designed to resist thermal-runaway propagation, impact and nail-penetration; IRON packs three Turing AI chips delivering 2,250 TOPS and 76 body degrees of freedom.
- Targets commercial deliveries H1 2027 after large-scale production by end-2026, competing in commercial humanoid deployments while facing execution risks around SOP timing, scaling production and regulatory safety validation.
XPeng has completed the first small-batch production run of solid-state batteries developed specifically for its IRON humanoid robot, Gu Jie, vice president of XPeng Motor, disclosed at the SAECCE annual conference on Oct. 28.
IRON has yet to reach SOP, or start of production. The battery milestone indicates that its power system has moved beyond development and validation toward production readiness.
Gu said XPeng developed a dedicated solid-state battery for IRON to accommodate the space constraints inside humanoid robots.
The battery features a high-energy-density design and a reworked set of battery standards, including measures to prevent thermal runaway from propagating.
It is designed to withstand impact and nail-penetration tests.
At its 2025 Tech Day, XPeng announced that the next-generation IRON would be the first humanoid robot in the industry to use an all-solid-state battery.
The company also disclosed at the time that IRON would be equipped with three Turing AI chips and run a large physical AI model.
Preparations for IRON production have been progressing in parallel.
On July 24, XPeng began pilot production of the humanoid robot at its Guangzhou plant, with the production line entering its final commissioning phase.
On September 8, XPeng officially brought the robot production line into operation.
The first IRON general-purpose humanoid robot completed automated final assembly and walked off the production line autonomously.
The line draws on quality management systems used in automotive manufacturing, with automation exceeding 80% across key processes.
From pilot production and automated assembly to small-batch output of dedicated batteries, XPeng is progressively connecting the stages required to move its robots from development prototypes to manufactured products.
IRON has 76 degrees of freedom across its body and 21 in each hand. Its three Turing AI chips deliver 2,250 TOPS of effective computing power.
On the funding front, XPeng’s robotics business completed its first funding round on August 24, raising more than $900 million at a post-money valuation exceeding $6.3 billion.
The round set a record for the largest single private-equity financing in China’s embodied intelligence sector.
This provids capital for further R&D, production-line construction and commercialization of robots.
Under XPeng’s current plan, the company intends to bring its humanoid robots into large-scale production by the end of 2026.
Commercial launches and deliveries in China and overseas markets are scheduled for the first half of 2027.
Initial units will be deployed primarily in commercial settings, including XPeng stores, industrial parks and shopping malls.
The company plans to expand into industrial and household applications in subsequent stages.
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