Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD Co. Ltd. (OTC: BYDDY) (OTC: BYDDF) reportedly confirmed on Tuesday that its first humanoid robot will formally debut in August at its Di Space experience venues, pushing the automaker into a robotics contest already drawing Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) and other carmakers.
BYD Targets Showrooms With First Humanoid
A teaser from BYD's Zhengzhou Di Space center promised that "in early August, a new friend wants to meet you." According to a report by CnEVPost on Tuesday, BYD later confirmed the unveiling to Chinese financial media but has not released a product name, design or verified specifications. The Zhengzhou venue spans four floors and serves as a technology showcase rather than a conventional dealership.
BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li, in an interview in June, framed retail as the robot's first practical market. "My goal is to place two or three robots in every store," she said, describing machines that could explain products, demonstrate vehicles and interact with customers. She said robots should support salespeople rather than replace the emotional connection human staff provide.
The company formed a dedicated humanoid robotics laboratory in late 2024 and has invested in Chinese robotics developers while testing machines from Unitree and UBTech in its factories. BYD has denied reports claiming it already deployed 150 in-house humanoids or planned 20,000 units this year.
Tesla Competition Accelerates Humanoid Robot Race
The debut brings BYD deeper into competition with Tesla, which repurposed its former Model S and Model X lines in Fremont for Optimus manufacturing. Elon Musk warned in January that early Optimus output would remain "agonizingly slow" because Tesla must develop many components from scratch. Reuters reported that Tesla now targets public sales by the end of 2027.
China already dominates early humanoid production. Reuters reported that Chinese companies shipped about 90% of the roughly 13,000 humanoid robots delivered worldwide in 2025, although researchers continue to question how quickly the machines can perform unscripted, economically useful work at scale.
Samsung, Hyundai And Rivian Join Push
The field is widening. Samsung Electronics (OTC: SSNLF) recently created a CEO-level Robotics eXperience division to accelerate humanoid development and commercialization. Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd. (OTC: HYMLF) plans to deploy Boston Dynamics' Atlas robots at its Georgia factory from 2028.
Rivian is taking a different route. Its spinout Mind Robotics is building industrial automation but has favored task-specific machines over headline-grabbing humanoids, a strategy Rivian Automotive Inc. (NASDAQ: RIVN) RJ Scaringe has defended.