BYD's First Humanoid Robot Xiao Di Enters Service in Zhengzhou

China's largest electric-vehicle maker, BYD, has publicly deployed its first humanoid robot, Xiao Di, which entered service on August 1 at the newly opened Di Space Zhengzhou complex, according to the South China Morning Post. It is the first time the Shenzhen-based company has put a humanoid to work outside its own research labs — and BYD hit its promised August date rather than slipping it, signaling the company wanted a hard public deadline.

Built for Interaction

Xiao Di stands 1.61 meters tall, weighs 58.5 kg and features 31 degrees of freedom, with 7 dexterous degrees per hand. It supports 360-degree vision, dynamic real-time environment modeling, facial recognition and lip movement — a service-oriented humanoid designed around interaction rather than factory labor, greeting visitors at BYD's Di Space science-and-experience venues.

The Tesla Optimus Rivalry

The debut lands as the rivalry between BYD and Tesla's Optimus intensifies, with both automakers racing to bring humanoids into commercial service. BYD is expected to target factory automation first, before expanding to warehouses, healthcare and eventually homes, as embodied AI becomes the next battleground between the world's two largest EV makers.