Mitsubishi Motors to Mass-Produce Humanoid Robots at Former Engine Plant

Mitsubishi Motors plans to begin mass-producing AI-powered humanoid robots at one of its Japanese manufacturing plants in the first half of 2027, ASSEMBLY magazine reported on August 4 — one of the industry's most significant moves yet toward large-scale humanoid production.

Up to 1,000 Robots Per Month

The automaker will manufacture humanoid robots developed by Highlanders Inc., a Tokyo startup that originated at the University of Tokyo, using an unused engine production line at its Kyoto plant. The facility is expected to produce up to 1,000 robots per month, leveraging Mitsubishi's decades of mass-production engineering, quality assurance, and safety design, the companies said in a July memorandum of understanding.

Built to Work in Factories

Standing approximately 1.75 meters tall, the robot is equipped with AI that lets it assess its surroundings autonomously, and features articulated hands capable of grasping and carrying objects — tasks that traditionally require human dexterity. The robots will initially be deployed at Mitsubishi's own manufacturing facilities to help address anticipated labor shortages, before potentially being offered for sale to other manufacturers.

The Auto Industry Turns Robot Maker

Mitsubishi's move reflects a broader shift in the automotive industry as manufacturers explore humanoids for factory operations: Toyota has begun trial deployments of robots at a Canadian plant, and BMW has introduced humanoids into production. With China accounting for more than 80% of global humanoid installations in 2025 and Tesla's Optimus V3 expected later this year, Japanese automakers are betting their quality systems give them an edge in scaling physical AI hardware.