Xiaomi has its new cars built by robots: faster than Tesla

Xiaomi showcased its latest vehicle at MWC, demonstrating an impressive level of technical innovation. Although the company has previously developed automobiles, those models were designed primarily for large-scale production. Such large-scale manufacturing increasingly relies on automation—particularly robotics. Notably, Xiaomi has already introduced a humanoid robot to its assembly line, achieving this milestone before Tesla.

Your Car Built by a Robot

Tesla does operate a robot in its factory; however, it is not yet integrated directly into the assembly line and currently performs only limited tasks, although the company continues to develop its capabilities. Xiaomi, by contrast, has already deployed robots directly on its production line. Two CyberOne robots have been introduced at the factory, where they are responsible for tightening nuts on a vehicle’s chassis.

While this task is relatively simple and not particularly complex, it represents an important first step toward greater robotic involvement in automotive manufacturing. It will likely take considerable time before humanoid robots are capable of moving freely through factories, transporting car parts, and performing full assembly operations.

CyberOne is Xiaomi’s in-house humanoid robot, designed to operate effectively within the automotive production environment. According to the company, the two robots can complete approximately 90 percent of their assigned tasks within three hours. However, Xiaomi has not provided a comparison indicating how long the same work would take a human worker.

This development is still noteworthy because most industrial automation currently relies on robotic arms rather than humanoid machines. These human-like robots must operate within the demanding pace of automotive manufacturing, where production moves rapidly—at Xiaomi’s facility, a new car reportedly rolls off the assembly line nearly every minute.

Support Roles

At the same time, Xiaomi acknowledges the current limitations of its robots. The company does not claim that the machines perform a large portion of the work. Instead, it emphasizes that the robots presently play a supportive role and are not yet fully integrated into standard production staffing. Human workers remain faster and more efficient in most tasks, and it remains uncertain how long it will take before this balance changes.

Nevertheless, the era of humanoid robotics is gradually emerging. Experimental home robots are increasingly being tested, and factories are adopting robotic systems at a growing rate. BMW, for example, has recently introduced a group of humanoid robots as part of a pilot program known as Physical AI. In Germany, AEON robots have been deployed to assist with assembling high-voltage batteries—a significantly more complex task than tightening nuts.

These developments highlight the rapid pace of innovation in robotics, particularly where it intersects with the automotive industry.