Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
During a livestream event on Sunday, Nio CEO William Li toured the company’s second factory within the NeoPark complex, approximately 300 miles from Shanghai.
Humanoid robots and robot dogs were seen undergoing training for inspection tasks at the facility. On the social media platform Weibo, Sino Auto wrote, “The factory also has humanoid robots and robot dogs in training for inspection tasks.”
The livestream also revealed that production of the L60, the first model from Nio’s sub-brand Onvo, has commenced ahead of the delivery on September 10.
However, a Nio spokesperson clarified to EV that these units are “test cars,” and not the final vehicles intended for customers.
Here’s a video shared on Weibo where the CEO is introducing the L60 to the young audience comparing it to Tesla Model Y.
During the tour, which included a visit from children, it was highlighted that the facility employs 310 Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) transport robots and features an assembly workshop equipped with 941 industrial robots.
As reported earlier this year by CnEVPost, Nio assembled a humanoid robot “squad” in 2023, according to Yi Peng, the EV maker’s head of humanoid robots for intellectual engineering.
Yi revealed this information at the China Humanoid Robot Ecology Conference 2024 in Shanghai earlier this month, explaining Nio’s plans to use humanoid robots in its factories.
According to Yi, Nio has previously tested humanoid robots to “fix humanoid robotic arms in tight spaces and multitasking with 5G and vision algorithms” and also “in some quality control processes.”
The stamping workshop’s mold area houses 300 sets of molds for six different models, including the Onvo L60. In the workshop area of the factory, Sino Auto reported that two 6900-ton die-casting machines can cast 15 pieces per minute, with mold changes taking only three minutes.
The Onvo L60, positioned as a direct competitor to the Tesla Model Y, targets family users and has a pre-sale price starting at 219,900 RMB ($30,100), which is 30,000 RMB lower than the Tesla Model Y.
The final official price remains unknown as customers speculate about the cost of the version with Battery as a Service (BAAS), which offers a lower initial buying price. The first units are expected to be delivered on September 10, according to local media.
In a recent post on X, Tesla highlighted its milestones since 2018 and unveiled the autonomous deployment of two of its Optimus humanoid robots in the factories adding they are “performing tasks in the factory autonomously”.
Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
