Affordability remains a barrier to mass adoption, but Unitree G1’s price of 99,000 yuan ($13,800) indicates strong consumer demand. Furthermore, China’s progress extends beyond sales.
A February Morgan Stanley report revealed that China has led the world in humanoid-related patent filings over the past five years, with 5,688 patents compared to 1,483 in the U.S.
The Long-Term Outlook for Humanoid Robots
According to Ming Hsun Lee, head of Greater China automotive and industrials research at BofA Global Research, China prioritizes humanoid robots as a solution for its looming labor shortages.
Elon Musk predicts that by 2025, Tesla will have thousands of Optimus robots working in its factories. Lee suggests that as adoption increases, component costs will decline rapidly, with China controlling around 70% of the supply chain.
A SemiAnalysis report emphasized that the Unitree G1 is “the only viable humanoid robot on the market” and is entirely independent of American components. The report further warns that China’s dominance in intelligent robotics could “pose an existential threat to the U.S. as it is outcompeted in all capacities.”
A Global Shift in Costs
Bank of America analysts project that humanoid robot deployment will accelerate due to advancements in AI. Global annual sales could reach 1 million units by 2030, with a staggering 3 billion humanoid robots in operation by 2060.
