EngineAI’s robot delivers powerful Bruce Lee–style kicks, while billionaire Elon Musk’s Optimus can only manage a few running steps before falling flat while trying to hand out a water bottle.

The showdown seems wildly uneven: a Chinese startup founded in 2023 with just 1 million yuan (about $142,000) in initial capital daring to challenge Elon Musk—a global tech icon who reshaped the aerospace industry and serves as Tesla’s CEO, with a personal fortune approaching half a trillion dollars.

Yet in less than two years, EngineAI Robotics, led by CEO Zhao Tongyang, has created the T800—a humanoid robot capable of unleashing spinning kicks inspired by Bruce Lee, with impact force comparable to that of a small car. Under engineers’ supervision, the robot was even allowed to “test its moves” on its own boss.

As a result, when Tesla’s Optimus recently set a so-called “personal record” by jogging a few steps, Chinese netizens merely shrugged and laughed. Skepticism grew further when, during a live demonstration, Optimus suddenly fell backward while attempting to hand a water bottle to an audience member.

EngineAI introduced its first robot model, the SA01, last year. Its T800 version, featuring a peak torque of up to 450 newton-meters, near-human manipulation abilities, and a solid-state battery that supports high-intensity operation for 4 to 5 hours, is expected to be ready for mass production by 2026.

Backed by China’s vast pool of technical talent and a “plug-and-play” supply chain in the Pearl River Delta, startups like EngineAI are turning science fiction into reality at breathtaking speed.

While American robots largely remain confined to laboratories, Chinese companies have already taken theirs into real-world testing—inside stadiums, factories, and even fighting arenas—fueling an industrial revolution driven by scale, speed, and a fully integrated ecosystem.

Just over a week ago, Tesla’s Optimus team posted a four-second video on X showing the humanoid robot running, accompanied by a claim that it had achieved a new “personal record.”

Many Chinese netizens responded bluntly that it “looked nothing special” or that “similar things have been around for a long time.”

For humanoid robots, Chinese audiences have grown accustomed to flashy promotional claims. Many domestic robotics firms have long mastered robotic gait, even drawing public attention through events such as robot marathons and sports competitions.

Recently, the focus has shifted to more complex movements like dancing and martial arts—such as the spinning kick performed by EngineAI’s T800.

Some have defended Optimus, arguing that “kung fu moves are just pre-programmed routines, very different from true AI that can act autonomously and adapt in real time.”

However, doubts about whether Optimus truly possesses such autonomy have only intensified.

At a presentation titled “Autonomy Visualised” in Miami on December 8, Optimus lost its balance and fell backward while trying to hand a bottle of water to an audience member.

The way the robot collapsed closely resembled a person removing a VR headset, fueling suspicions that Optimus was being remotely controlled rather than operating fully autonomously.

The incident quickly became a source of online ridicule. One commenter mocked: “Musk estimates Optimus will cost around $20,000—but does that price include the remote operator and support equipment, or are those billed separately?”

Such questions strike at the heart of the issue: if even a simple task like handing over a bottle requires real-time human control, then Optimus remains far from Musk’s vision of a truly versatile humanoid robot.

By contrast, robotics companies deeply rooted in China’s manufacturing ecosystem are advancing at remarkable speed, leveraging supply-chain advantages and a vast pool of engineers.

EngineAI Robotics, one of the most notable examples, began with extremely limited funding.

“When the company was founded in 2023, our total startup capital—including support from friends—was only about 1 to 2 million yuan,” founder Zhao Tongyang said in an interview in February.

Despite having just enough funds to hire young engineers, the company was determined to develop both its hardware and software entirely in-house.

At the time, Tesla’s Optimus was already capable of visually sorting objects, backed by far greater R&D investment and global attention.

EngineAI’s first product was the SA01 bipedal robot, launched in 2024 at a record-low price for the industry: 38,500 yuan.

Zhao attributed the low cost to the Pearl River Delta’s complete supply chain and strong manufacturing capabilities. “We design core components ourselves and place orders directly with factories, which significantly reduces procurement costs,” he explained.

              Visitors admire Tesla’s humanoid robot Optimus at the World Artificial Intelligence                                                                   Conference in Shanghai in July 2024.

Earlier this month, EngineAI unveiled its next-generation humanoid robot, the T800, featuring a peak torque of 450 newton-meters—surpassing that of many family car engines—along with human-like hands capable of picking up a light bulb.

Powered by a high-performance solid-state battery, the T800’s overall physical capability exceeds that of 90% of adult men, delivering genuine labor productivity at a starting price of 180,000 yuan.

Alongside the T800 launch, EngineAI announced it has entered the commercial production phase, with small batches of deliveries expected to begin next year.

The company operates its own production line in Shenzhen and plans to build a global manufacturing hub in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, fully leveraging the coordination efficiency and rapid responsiveness of China’s domestic supply chain.

This tight integration from design to manufacturing shortens development cycles and reduces costs.

Meanwhile, at a shareholders’ meeting on November 6, Musk said that the Optimus production line would begin next year, with an expected price range of $20,000 to $30,000.

While Tesla still holds advantages in brand recognition, capital, and AI expertise, Chinese teams clearly excel at building robots faster and at lower cost.

Analysts note that Chinese robotics companies benefit from strong supply chains and a large engineering workforce, enabling quicker development and product launches at reduced costs.

“A solid industrial foundation accumulated over multiple stages has given China a reliable supply chain, while its abundant AI and robotics talent provides a crucial advantage in humanoid robot development,” Wu Yiming, a researcher at the Xi’an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told Guangming Daily.

Beyond industrial and supply-chain advantages, China also offers a wide range of application scenarios and strong market demand.

“Extensive industrial activity has accumulated cross-sector data, creating a broad testing environment, data foundation, and market space for the development of humanoid robots,” said Xu Man, a senior engineer at the China Electronics Institute.