Chinese EV powerhouse XPeng is attempting to bridge the uncanny valley once and for all with its ‘IRON’ humanoid. [9] The female-form robot’s movement is so remarkably human-like that at its grand unveiling, the audience was left wondering if they were being pranked. In a move bordering on the theatrical, the company reportedly had to slice the machine open on stage to prove there wasn’t an actual human hiding inside the chassis. [3, 4] Far from being a mere vanity project, IRON represents a serious opening salvo in XPeng’s aggressive strategy to have these humanoids in full-scale commercial production by the close of 2026. [2]
