Li Auto Would possibly Launch Its First Two-Wheeled Robotic This Yr

March 5 — Li Auto has been secretly rising robotics merchandise for nearly a yr, with the inside endeavor working beneath the codename Nexus. The crew is led by He Junpei, former {{hardware}} affiliate at robotics startup NineRay Tech.

Consistent with sources acquainted with the matter, Li Auto’s humanoid robotics division is planning two merchandise: a two-wheeled robotic and a bipedal humanoid robotic. The two-wheeled robotic is reportedly ready and, beneath optimum circumstances, is likely to be launched spherical mid-2026, primarily for manufacturing unit manufacturing conditions.

Insiders say Li Auto’s robotics method attracts inspiration from Tesla—focusing first on technological iteration in closed industrial environments sooner than recurrently growing in direction of consumer-facing capabilities.

Critiques level out that Ma Donghui, President of Li Auto, initially pushed to determine the robotics endeavor in 2023. Nonetheless, Li Xiang, the company’s CEO, believed the know-how was not however mature on the time, ensuing within the endeavor being shortly shelved.

Near the highest of 2024, Li Xiang reconsidered the initiative, concluding that robotics required early strategic positioning.

Sources close to Li Xiang revealed that he believes investing too early in a robotic’s “thoughts” packages—huge AI fashions and decision-making architectures—is also pointless if these utilized sciences lastly transform open-source. Due to this, internal discussions ultimately decided to prioritize setting up the embodied {{hardware}} platform first.

Within the similar yr, He Junpei, who beforehand labored with XPeng’s robotics unit Pengxing Intelligence and Agibot, joined Li Auto after serving as a {{hardware}} affiliate at NineRay Tech. Shortly afterward, the company’s Nexus robotics endeavor formally began its confidential progress half.

The robotics crew operates beneath President Ma Donghui and presently has fewer than 30 members.

Provide: IThome

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