If you thought Tesla or XPeng’s bipedal humanoid robots were a creepy glimpse into the future, wait until you see what Chinese automaker Chery Automotive is deploying. Alongside business partner AiMOGA, Chery is encouraging its dealers to purchase a Mornine robot to help sell vehicles to customers. Mornine definitely won’t scare anyone away, right?
Chery Automotive has been developing vehicles for nearly 30 years in China and operates under the ownership of the Wuhu municipal government, where it is headquartered. We’ve previously covered several of Chery’s sub-brands, including Luxeed, and Omoda.
In addition to cars, Chery has become yet another automaker exploring bipedal humanoid robots. In June 2024, Chery announced a strategic partnership with AI and robotics specialist AiMOGA to develop a new humanoid robot called Mornine, promising to “usher in a wholly innovative customer ecosystem service system.”
Less than a year later, Mornine was strutting her stuff around Chery’s booth at the Shanghai Auto Show before a crowd of the blonde robots stood behind Zhang Guibing, president of Chery International, during a dealer and media event in its home city of Wuhu.
We’d argue that bipedal humanoid robots are already too close to a Terminator-like dystopia. Hence, adding hair and makeup (and some surprising junk in Mornine’s trunk) makes things a helluva lot more creepy. You have to listen to her speak in the video below.
Chery’s Mornine robot is awesome, but gives us the creeps
While Mornine is new to us, the sunglass-clad, ponytailed robot from Chery and AiMOGA has been in the public eye for about a year now. It was only during Chery’s recent press events, however, that we learned how Mornine is expected to support the automaker. She(?) will be your local showroom specialist, of course!
According to Chery International’s president, the market for humanoid robots has more potential in the future than vehicles, and “AiMOGA is the real future for the Chery company.” Zhang said Mornine is the same price as a car, but could serve as a home assistant, or you can buy a second robot to help you at work.
Top comment by Peter Mason
Either the video discredits the capability of the robot, or it really has little functionality. Walks poorly and very slow, which is the very last thing you need in a sales person. Her description of the car is disjointed, although it would be very cool if it does indeed recognise your question and give a relevant answer. So currently purely something to attract punters to the car dealership -- and I'm there, just for that -- with just as many sales people in attendance to actually serve the customer. And no, I don't find it spooky at all, just a good sales gimmick.
However, personal robots are still more science fiction with an emphasis that leans more toward fiction, so Chery wants to get the word out about its technology and the use cases it can one day provide the world. To do so, Chery is hoping to deploy the Mornine robots to vehicle showrooms to assist customers in learning more about available models (see more in the video below).
Those aren’t just cool shades AiMOGA equipped Mornine with – they house surround-view vision. Mornine also has fully flexible hands that can serve customers drinks and female-like vocal capabilities to answer vehicle questions.
Zhang told the crowd of over 3,000 in Wuhu that Chery would offer a discount on Mornine to any interested customers, although that amount was not publicly revealed. One Mornine robot has already been working on a trial basis at a Chery dealership in Malaysia.
Chery has promised to deliver 220 Mornine robots this year to dealers worldwide. That’s not enough to garner full-fledged panic about a humanoid robot takeover, but it’s as scary as it is exciting. See more of Mornine in action below:
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