China's EV makers shift gears to focus on humanoids as car market slows

XPeng's humanoid robot IRON is on display during the 2026 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Auto Show on May 31, 2026 in Shenzhen, Guangdong province of China. Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesChinese companies rushed into electric cars a decade ago, and now they are expanding into humanoid robots as the EV market sees a slowdown amid intense competition.While the commercial viability of humanoids has come under scrutiny, it hasn't dissuaded companies such as Xpeng from announcing robot production plans, at a time when China's EV sales are headed for their worst year since 2021.It's part of a bid to reshape "capital valuation narratives," said Kevin Li, associate director at Counterpoint Research. He added that the automakers are also looking to boost the perception that they are tech companies, and establish a second growth curve.Xpeng shares have tumbled more than 45% this year, making them the worst performer among major EV players. Shares of EV giant BYD are down more than 13% as sales have slumped.Chinese automakers accounted for more than half of the nearly 20 car companies globally that have entered the humanoid robotics sector through in-house d...