Gree Electric Announces It Has the Capability to Manufacture Humanoid Robots

Gree Makes Bold Entry: Full In-House R&D and Production of Humanoid Robot Components

Gree Electric CMO Zhu Lei recently announced publicly that Gree now possesses the capability to build humanoid robots, emphasizing that all robot components can be independently developed and manufactured in-house. This statement signals the traditional home appliance giant's official entry into the humanoid robot arena, adding further momentum to an already red-hot market.

2,000 Industrial Robots as Foundation: Manufacturing Capability Already Proven

In reality, Gree is no newcomer to the robotics field. The company has reportedly deployed over 2,000 self-developed industrial robots across its own production lines, achieving a remarkable 80% improvement in production efficiency.

From core components such as servo motors, reducers, and controllers to complete machine integration and system debugging, Gree has accumulated substantial technological expertise in industrial robotics. Zhu Lei's claim of "full in-house R&D and production of all components" is built upon this multi-year manufacturing and research system. This kind of full-chain autonomous capability is uncommon among domestic robot companies and serves as the foundation for Gree's confidence in declaring its humanoid robot manufacturing readiness.

Humanoid Robot Sector Continues to Heat Up as Giants Rush In

Since 2024, the humanoid robot sector has continued to gain momentum, becoming one of the focal areas of global technology competition. Tesla's Optimus has undergone continuous iterations, while domestic companies such as UBTECH, Fourier Intelligence, and Unitree Robotics are accelerating their commercialization efforts. Meanwhile, cross-industry giants like Xiaomi and BYD have also expressed strong interest in humanoid robots.

Gree's announcement can be seen as a proactive response from a traditional manufacturing giant to this trend. Compared to pure-play robotics startups, Gree's advantages include:

• Supply chain integration: As one of the world's largest air conditioner manufacturers, Gree has a mature supply chain management system and extensive mass production experience.
• Core component self-sufficiency: In-house R&D capabilities for key components such as motors, precision molds, and sensors can effectively reduce costs and ensure supply security.
• Manufacturing expertise: Decades of precision manufacturing experience provide a solid foundation for producing high-precision robot components.

From "Can Build" to "Build Well": Multiple Challenges Remain

However, industry insiders point out that a significant gap remains between "having manufacturing capability" and "launching a mature humanoid robot product." The technical challenges of humanoid robots extend beyond hardware manufacturing to encompass breakthroughs in motion control algorithms, AI large model-driven perception and decision-making systems, and human-robot interaction experiences on the software side.

The core challenges currently facing the humanoid robot industry include:

1. Motion control: Balance and stability in bipedal walking remains a world-class challenge.
2. AI brain: Robots need robust environmental perception, semantic understanding, and autonomous decision-making capabilities.
3. Cost control: Bringing per-unit costs down to commercially viable levels.
4. Application scenarios: Identifying truly commercially valuable use cases.

Gree's advantages in hardware manufacturing are unquestionable, but its accumulation in AI algorithms and software ecosystems remains relatively limited. Whether the company will choose to partner with AI firms and adopt a "hardware in-house + software collaboration" model is worth watching.

Outlook: Manufacturing DNA Could Become a Differentiating Competitive Edge

From a broader perspective, Gree's entry reflects an important trend — humanoid robots are evolving from an exclusive domain of technology companies into a mainstream arena where manufacturing giants compete alongside them. Companies with deep manufacturing DNA stand to develop differentiated advantages in mass production cost control and hardware reliability.

With continued policy support for the humanoid robot industry and the rapid iteration of AI technologies, 2025 is expected to be a pivotal year for humanoid robots transitioning from the laboratory to industrialization. Whether Gree can convert its manufacturing heritage into competitive strength in the humanoid robot space is something the market is watching closely.