China’s Pudu Robotics, which makes 80% of its sales abroad, takes on Tesla in humanoids

Pudu Robotics has built its business on specialized commercial service robots designed for specific tasks, such as cleaning hotel floors, bussing restaurant dishes, and moving goods in factories. The company's established presence led consultancy Frost & Sullivan to rank it first globally in shipments and revenues for commercial service robots in 2025, according to the company.

The company's stated shift into humanoid robots, as articulated by CEO Felix Zhang Tao, marks a significant strategic expansion beyond its current task-specific machines. While Pudu Robotics' success in commercial robotics provides a foundation in robot design, manufacturing, and deployment, the move into humanoids, which typically aim for more general-purpose, human-like interaction and movement, presents a distinct set of technological and market challenges. Zhang acknowledges Tesla as a "very good" rival whose high profile has driven innovation and broadened market awareness in robotics.

This ambition is accompanied by recent international expansion, with Pudu Robotics opening its European headquarters in Germany last month and a US base in Dallas in April. The company is also exploring manufacturing in Europe, its largest overseas market. Such moves towards localized production could facilitate the deployment and service of more complex robotic systems, including future humanoid models, closer to key international markets.