Toyota invests $6.4 billion annually to build out humanoid robots and factory automation
Toyota plans to invest $6.4 billion annually to deploy 400,000 robots, driving its transformation into a global robotics company. Its AI robotics spin-off Walden Robotics went public in July at a valuation of $1.1 billion, raising $300 million; Goldman Sachs analysts believe Toyota could capture a 3% to 8% share of the humanoid robot market by 2035. Toyota executives said the robots will be deployed first in its own factories because the environment there is easier to control; investors, meanwhile, pointed out that Toyota's previous performance in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and solid-state batteries fell short of expectations.
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Toyota plans to invest $6.4 billion annually to deploy 400,000 robots, giving readers a sense of the scale of investment and market expectations as automakers transform into robotics companies.
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Toyota wants to turn itself into a global robotics company, and it's betting on humanoid robots and factory automation to get there. The world's largest automaker plans to deploy 400,000 robots as part of a $6.4 billion annual investment plan, the Financial Times reports.
In July, Toyota's AI robotics spinout Walden Robotics went public with a $1.1 billion valuation and $300 million in funding. Goldman Sachs analysts think Toyota could grab three to eight percent of the humanoid robot market by 2035. Its rivals include Tesla, Xpeng, and Hyundai, which plans to start building its Atlas robot in the US in 2028.
A Toyota executive says the company's own factories come first for robot deployment because the environment there is easier to control. Investors are more cautious. They point out that Toyota has fallen short of expectations before with hydrogen cars and solid-state batteries.