BMW Completes 11-Month Humanoid Robot Trial as Manufacturing Automation Race Accelerates
Figure AI's robots handled 90,000 parts in BMW's Spartanburg plant, marking the first sustained deployment of general-purpose humanoids in high-volume automotive production.
BW has completed an 11-month pilot deployment of humanoid robots at its South Carolina manufacturing facility, with Figure AI’s robots logging over 1,250 operational hours and contributing to production of more than 30,000 BMW X3 vehicles. The trial represents the automotive industry’s most extensive real-world test of general-purpose humanoid robots, delivering data on reliability, task performance, and integration challenges that will shape the next generation of manufacturing automation.
BW announced its partnership with Figure AI in January 2024, deploying initially one robot for technical evaluation at the Spartanburg plant. The Figure 02 robots ran 10-hour shifts Monday through Friday with 1,250 hours of runtime, loading more than 90,000 parts and contributing to the production of over 30,000 BMW X3 vehicles, according to Repairer Driven News. The robots performed sheet-metal loading—picking sheet-metal parts from racks or bins and placing them on a welding fixture—a task requiring both dexterity and precision in a demanding production environment.
The deployment exposed critical hardware weaknesses. Figure 02 recorded minimal hardware failures while generating critical data that informed the build procedures, component architecture, and mechanical design of Figure 03. The robot’s forearm was the top hardware failure point at BMW, prompting a complete redesign for the next generation. Figure AI tracked the number of times a human must pause or reset the robot, with the goal being zero per shift, though the company did not publicly disclose performance data against this target.
From California Lab to German Factory Floor
BW is now scaling the technology to Europe. The robot Figure 02 supported the production of more than 30,000 BMW X3, working ten-hour shifts daily from Monday to Friday in Spartanburg, and BW is testing humanoid robots in its production facility in Leipzig, with initial trials beginning in December, according to MarketScreener. The Leipzig pilot, using a different supplier (Hexagon Robotics’ AEON), focuses on battery manufacturing and component production—areas where BW sees immediate value from humanoid flexibility.
BW Group is setting up a new Center of Competence for Physical AI in Production, following a clearly structured approach where technology partners are evaluated according to defined maturity and industrialisation criteria and tested in pilot projects under real-world production conditions, the company announced. This systematic evaluation framework positions BW as a critical gatekeeper for humanoid robotics commercialization in automotive manufacturing.
In February 2024, Figure AI secured $675 million in venture capital funding from a consortium that includes Jeff Bezos, Microsoft, Nvidia, Intel, and the startup-funding divisions of Amazon and OpenAI, with funding valuing the company at $2.6 billion. With a third round of financing in September 2025 amounting to $1 billion, the company’s total valuation rose to $39 billion, with investors including Intel, Nvidia, Qualcomm, T-Mobile, Salesforce, and Brookfield Asset Management, according to Wikipedia.
The US-China Robotics Competition Intensifies
The BMW deployment unfolds against an escalating technology rivalry. Industry estimates show more than 13,000 humanoid robots shipped globally in 2025, with roughly 87% to 90% of them produced by Chinese companies, and with over 140 domestic manufacturers and more than 330 humanoid models unveiled, eWeek reported. Reuters reports that the Chinese government allocated over $20 billion in subsidies to its robotics industry in late-2024 and early-2025 through grants, loans, tax credits, and state-backed venture capital funding, according to ChinaPower Project.
Chinese manufacturers are undercutting on price. Unitree Robotics advertises a base price of $13,500 for its G1 humanoid robot, Euronews noted, while Figure AI’s robots are estimated between $30,000 and $150,000 for early deployments. The Department of Commerce is convening American robotics companies on March 10 to discuss how to bolster the domestic industry and thwart Chinese competition, Semafor reported exclusively. A Senate bill proposes prohibiting government agencies from using humanoids developed by China, Russia, North Korea, or Iran.
| Company | Country | Estimated Price | Key Deployment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Figure AI | USA | $30,000-$150,000 | BMW Spartanburg |
| Unitree | China | $13,500 | Mass retail sales |
| Boston Dynamics | USA | Not disclosed | Hyundai Georgia (planned) |
| Tesla Optimus | USA | Target <$20,000 | Internal (projected 2026) |
Labor Market Implications Remain Opaque
BW has provided no job displacement projections. According to BW, the goal of using these robots is to outsource unpleasant or dangerous tasks to them, with no plans to cut jobs, the company stated. Yet academic research suggests different outcomes. Adding one robot to a geographic area reduces employment in that area by six workers, and between 1990 and 2007, the increase in robots reduced the average employment-to-population ratio in a zone by 0.39 percentage points, and average wages by 0.77%, according to MIT Sloan research by Acemoglu and Restrepo.
Robots are most likely to affect routine manual occupations and lower and middle class workers, and particularly blue-collar workers, including machinists, assemblers, material handlers, and welders, the researchers found. Labor shortages have become a widespread issue across the US, with 1.2 million more job openings than available workers as of March 2025, and the manufacturing sector is projected to face a deficit of 3.8 million workers through 2034, Contrary Research noted, suggesting humanoids may initially fill vacancies rather than displace existing workers.
In the near term, for perhaps a decade or so, humanoid robots will largely be deployed to meet demand for labor that is currently going unmet by humans, creating a situation in which humanoid robots appear to be almost purely a force-multiplier for existing jobs and workers rather than a threat to them, but this condition will not persist for long, as there will be no benefit to employers of having that human in the loop, according to analysis from RethinkX.
What to Watch
BW’s decision on Figure 03 deployment scale will signal commercial viability. BW Group and Figure are currently evaluating additional use cases for deploying the Figure 03 robot. If BW orders hundreds of units for Spartanburg and Leipzig, it validates the business case; continued small-scale pilots suggest the technology remains immature.
Hyundai’s Atlas deployment timeline matters. Hyundai said at CES 2026 that it plans to start using humanoid robots in its factories and is building a production system that could produce 30,000 robots annually by 2028, Automotive News reported. If Boston Dynamics delivers on this timeline, it will intensify pressure on Figure AI and validate the market.
US policy responses to Chinese manufacturing dominance will shape the competitive landscape. The March 10 Commerce Department meeting and pending Senate legislation could impose tariffs or import restrictions, fundamentally altering cost structures and market access for Chinese humanoid manufacturers seeking US customers.
Manufacturing cost trajectories determine adoption rates. Figure AI’s new BotQ manufacturing facility is tooled to produce 12,000 units per year, with a stated target of 100,000 Figure 03 robots over the next four years. Whether Figure AI can achieve the cost reductions necessary to compete with Chinese pricing while maintaining technical superiority will determine its long-term viability.