Similar to what is happening with electric vehicles, sooner or later participants in the Chinese market will face the imperative of international expansion, meaning those pioneering this path stand to gain a certain competitive edge. Unitree Robotics intends to sell its humanoid robots outside of China by leveraging Alibaba, the owner of the well-known AliExpress marketplace.
According to reports from the South China Morning Post, the most budget-friendly humanoid model from Unitree, the R1, is slated for its international debut next week utilizing this very trading platform. Initially, these robots will be available for order with delivery from China to markets in North America, Europe, Japan, and Singapore, with further sales channels to be added later. The Unitree R1, which was unveiled in China last year, retails domestically at $4370, stands 123 cm tall, and has a minimum weight of 27 kg. It has been trained to perform the gymnastic move known as a “cartwheel,” execute a push-up position, rise from it, and run down an incline. The price at which the R1 will be offered in export territories has not yet been specified.
Overall, Unitree already makes a significant portion of its output available beyond China, with export revenues spanning from 2022 through 2024 having surpassed those generated domestically, leading to considerable international recognition for its products. However, last year, Unitree’s share of export revenue dropped to 39% by the close of the first three quarters. It was Unitree robots that featured in this year’s New Year’s performance in Beijing, which was broadcast nationwide. By the end of last year, the company delivered over 5,000 humanoid robots to its customers. This volume is multiple times greater than the combined shipments from their American competitors. For the current year, Unitree plans to ship between 10,000 and 20,000 robots to the market. TrendForce estimates that the company will capture fifty percent of the Chinese humanoid robot market share this year, with Agibot positioned second at 30% market share.
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