China's UBTech takes direct shot at Tesla with $20K humanoid home robot
The race to bring humanoid robots into homes is heating up, with major tech firms betting on what many see as the next frontier in consumer technology.
Tesla, Figure AI, and startups across China, the US, and Japan are all developing robots designed to handle domestic chores.
With aging populations and labor shortages driving demand, humanoids are quickly shifting from science fiction to commercial reality.
Now, Chinese firm UBTech Robotics Corp. is joining the push with a $20,000 household companion robot set to launch later this year.
The Shenzhen-based company, known for high-end industrial robots, is pivoting toward consumer use.
At the BEYOND Expo in Macau, Chief Brand Officer Michael Tam told Bloomberg, 'Home companion robots are a bright spot in China, partly due to the growing need for elderly care.'
UBTech expects to ship around 1,000 units of the new robot in 2025. Though a release date hasn't been announced, the company plans to boost production tenfold by 2026.
Tam warned, however, that a robot capable of full caregiving is still years away.
UBTech built its reputation with industrial humanoids used by firms like BYD Co. and Foxconn Technology Group.
These robots sell for about $100,000 each. The company also markets educational robots, but now aims to break into homes.
Tesla looms large as a rival. Elon Musk said last year that Tesla's Optimus robot will perform household tasks and could sell for $20,000 to $30,000 by 2026.
Musk recently posted a video of Optimus vacuuming, taking out the trash, and cleaning with a brush and dustpan, highlighting Tesla's rapid progress toward home deployment.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1925050052273143948
Both companies are currently in early production stages.
UBTech's pricing undercuts the high-end market and places it in direct competition with Musk's vision of a robot butler.
China's growing elderly population is creating urgent demand for caregiving solutions. UBTech believes its new robot can help fill that gap.
Government support adds momentum. President Xi Jinping has named robotics a top national priority, encouraging firms to scale quickly.
Tam said the robot could reach broad adoption among older adults. Analysts estimate it could serve up to 30% of elderly Chinese households.
The Chinese government reportedly views robotics as a crucial part of its broader strategy to support an aging population without putting additional strain on the human workforce.
This policy backing may give UBTech an edge in securing funding and accelerating development.
UBTech's consumer shift comes as it faces financial strain. The company lost over 1.1 billion yuan ($153 million) last year. Its stock has fallen 45% over the past 12 months in Hong Kong.
Still, Tam welcomes the pressure. 'White-hot competition creates a lot of pressure on a single company, but for the whole industry, it helps preserve good companies and eliminate bad ones,' he told Bloomberg.
As humanoid robots inch closer to everyday life, UBTech's shift to the home market marks a high-stakes bet.
Whether the company can overcome mounting financial pressure and fierce competition or get outpaced by deeper-pocketed rivals like Tesla remains to be seen.
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