Iron (XPeng)
Humanoid robotic platform developed by XPeng Motors.
For the parent company, see XPeng Motors (stub). For the chief executive of XPeng, see He Xiaopeng.
Iron is a humanoid robotic platform developed by XPeng Motors, a Guangzhou-based electric vehicle manufacturer. Iron was initially unveiled in 2024 and has undergone a substantial redesign for the Next-Gen Iron announced in 2026. As of mid-2026, Iron is deployed in an internal use configuration on XPeng's electric vehicle assembly lines, and XPeng has announced retail deployment beginning in early 2027 with showroom and shopping guide roles as the initial commercial application.
Contents
Development history
Iron (2024)
The first Iron was unveiled in 2024 as XPeng's initial entry into the humanoid category. The 2024 Iron established the platform's basic form factor (approximately 173 cm in height, approximately 70 kg in mass, with dexterous hands and a comprehensive sensor payload) and the strategic positioning of XPeng in the humanoid category as an automotive OEM extending vertically into robotic platforms.
Next-Gen Iron (2026)
Next-Gen Iron, unveiled in 2026, is a substantial redesign that introduces distinctive engineering choices. The platform features approximately 82 degrees of freedom across the body (up from earlier configurations), 22-degree-of-freedom dexterous hands, a human-like spine architecture, biomimetic muscle-inspired actuators, flexible synthetic skin, and a 3D curved facial display. Compute is provided by three XPeng-designed Turing AI chips (with reported effective compute in the 2,250 to 3,000 TOPS range depending on source). Next-Gen Iron uses an all-solid-state battery, which XPeng has claimed as a first in a commercial humanoid platform. Maximum walking speed is approximately 5.8 km/h and battery life is approximately 4 hours per charge.
The engineering choices in Next-Gen Iron reflect XPeng's positioning of the platform for customer-facing roles in retail environments, where the synthetic skin, spine articulation, and facial display support presentation-oriented deployment.
Specifications (Next-Gen Iron)
- Height: approximately 173 cm (5 ft 8 in)
- Mass: approximately 70 kg
- Degrees of freedom: approximately 82
- Hand DoF: 22 per hand
- Compute: three XPeng Turing AI chips, effective compute in the 2,250 to 3,000 TOPS range
- Battery: all-solid-state, approximately 4 hours of continuous operation
- Maximum walking speed: approximately 5.8 km/h
- Vision: 720-degree awareness through the "Eagle-Eye" vision system
- Distinctive materials: synthetic skin, biomimetic muscles, 3D curved facial display
Use case
Iron is positioned by XPeng across two use cases: internal use on XPeng's own manufacturing lines, and customer-facing retail roles including showroom and shopping guide deployments. This dual positioning reflects XPeng's strategic approach to the humanoid category as a vertical extension of the company's existing automotive operations. The internal use case allows XPeng to develop and validate the platform in operational conditions before external deployment. The retail use case aligns with XPeng's automotive customer-facing retail presence and positions Iron as a platform for premium customer experience rather than pure functional utility.
Deployment status
As of mid-2026, Iron is a working internal robot on XPeng's electric vehicle assembly lines and is not a product available for order. Mass production is targeted for the end of 2026, with first retail deployments in showroom and shopping guide roles targeted for early 2027. Commercial deliveries to external customers are targeted through 2027. Consumer home use is being held back for safety validation and is not on the currently announced deployment schedule.
Estimated cost per unit
XPeng has not announced a price for Iron. The approximately USD 150,000 figure that circulates in industry coverage is a third-party estimate, not an XPeng-published figure. Until XPeng publishes a price, unit costs should be treated as unknown.
References
- XPeng Motors announcement of the initial Iron platform, 2024.
- XPeng Motors announcement of Next-Gen Iron, 2026.
- Industry coverage of Iron specifications and deployment plans through mid-2026.
- Coverage of XPeng's Turing AI chip compute claims in the Next-Gen Iron platform.