Battery Giant CATL to Enter the Humanoid Robot Market

In 2025, humanoid robots are defined by the global industry as the "year of commercial mass production," with the market expected to exceed 50 billion and reach 1.2 trillion by 2030. Giants like Tesla Optimus and Boston Dynamics' Atlas are rapidly accelerating their product iterations. Furthermore, data shows that by the end of 2024, there will be over 160 humanoid robot manufacturers worldwide, with Chinese companies accounting for nearly 40% of the market.

 

Currently, China has become a core participant in the global humanoid robot supply chain, leveraging its manufacturing cost advantage (30~40% lower than Europe and the US) and diverse application scenarios. For example, Tesla's Optimus sources over 50% of its components from Chinese companies, and firms like UBTECH and AgiBot are already performing tasks like handling and sorting in factories for BYD and FAW, bringing the cost of a single robot below 150,000 RMB, thus forming an initial commercialization loop.

 

Unable to personally enter the vehicle manufacturing field, battery giant CATL has also begun to shift its focus to the "robotics" industry as part of its strategy for a second growth curve.

 

Since the end of 2024, the battery technology powerhouse has started increasing its investments in the robotics sector. According to public information, CATL's current core research and development focus in robotics is on industrial applications, including the formation of a dozen-person research team in Shanghai, focusing on the development of industrial robots, and actively exploring investment opportunities in the humanoid robot industry chain.

 

Its Shanghai team is dedicated to the development of robot body design, motion control algorithms, perception algorithms, and human-robot interaction technologies, with plans to introduce products like robotic arms and automated guided vehicles (AGVs). Insiders reveal that these robots will be primarily used in CATL's own battery factories to improve automation levels. This strategy aligns with CATL's long-standing focus on "extreme manufacturing." Furthermore, CATL is expanding its exploration in the robotics field, having already engaged with several emerging industry companies like GalBot and AgiBot, and plans to financially invest in at least one humanoid robot manufacturer.

 

CATL's Move into Humanoid Robots

CATL has already begun its move into humanoid robots. In November 2024, CATL's 21C Innovation Lab set up a team of about 20 people to focus on self-developed robotic arms. In addition, CATL's wholly-owned subsidiary, the CATL Future Energy Research Institute, collaborated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2023 to launch five intelligent robot collaborative projects, covering legged robots, biped robots, heavy-load quadruped robots, humanoid robots, and visual servo robots.

 

In 2024, CATL may have already engaged with several humanoid robot companies and is testing these robots in its battery factories while exploring investments in related enterprises. Through these collaborations, CATL and Shanghai Jiao Tong University have developed multiple robots that are already being used in various application scenarios, with humanoid robots standing out in particular.

 

It is said that the humanoid robots developed by CATL not only have basic functions like walking and carrying but also possess advanced capabilities such as intelligent recognition, autonomous navigation, and collaborative operations, which are expected to significantly improve the automation and intelligence of factories. Leveraging its advantages in the new energy sector, CATL has integrated its robotics power system with battery technology, ensuring efficient and stable energy supply. Additionally, CATL has optimized its manufacturing processes, enhancing production efficiency and product quality through its experience in smart manufacturing.

 

Although CATL has yet to publicly announce a clear humanoid robot development plan, public records show that in November 2024, Bairei Capital, founded by CATL, made an angel investment in Spirit AI, a company specializing in embodied intelligent robots.

 

Why Is CATL Moving into Robotics?

Previously, CATL focused on investing billions to develop better batteries and build more efficient battery factories. However, as current battery performance approaches theoretical limits, the marginal returns on R&D and capital investment are diminishing. Moreover, the Chinese battery industry has, to some extent, entered a cyclical phase, much like the display panel and photovoltaic industries.

 

Perhaps the success of Tesla has shown CATL the potential for transformation. Tesla demonstrated that an electric motor (or more broadly, an electric vehicle industry chain) can drive an entirely new robotics industry chain. Inspired by Tesla, the robotics industry could phase out traditional hydraulic systems, and instead, use electric motors to remake various industries — just as the automotive industry has done, followed by low-altitude manned flight and robotics.

 

Moreover, Tesla's approach has brought about a conceptual revolution: using 14 linear actuators and 14 rotary actuators to form the entire framework. Since the components used in these actuators are standardized, the upstream supply chain in robotics is becoming more consolidated, and costs are rapidly decreasing.

 

In addition, humanoid robots have slightly fewer components than electric vehicles, with around 7,000 parts. From batteries and chips to carbon fiber and metal structural parts, from radars to sensors, companies in the new energy vehicle sector and their supply chains are well-equipped to produce the necessary components.

 

Some industry experts are extremely optimistic, with Pudu Robotics founder Zhang Tao stating that in the 60 years since the birth of the industrial robotics field in 1966, only 4.5 million industrial robotic arms have been produced. However, with the arrival of a new technological cycle and the potential entry of service industries, the market could see up to 45 billion service robots — a potential 10,000-fold market expansion.

 

Of course, humanoid robots are still an unproven business, but for CATL, bypassing car manufacturing and directly diving into robotics may offer a more promising path. Either way, everything is new, and CATL is on the move.