Investing.com -- Xpeng Inc chief executive He Xiaopeng said Wednesday he will personally lead the company's robotics division as the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer prepares for mass production of its humanoid robots by the end of this year.

He Xiaopeng will assume the role of CEO of the robotics unit immediately, according to an internal letter. The move comes as Xpeng approaches mass production and commercialization of its IRON humanoid robots, which the company introduced last year.

"The industry is becoming increasingly hot and competitive, and we have clearly seen the direction and timing of victory, but it still requires more arduous implementation and extremely high decision-making ability," He Xiaopeng said in the letter.

The announcement follows the departure of Shi Xiaoxin, a senior executive involved in the IRON project, who left the company earlier this month. Xpeng confirmed Wednesday that Shi resigned from his position as senior director of robotics product planning.

Xpeng plans to begin mass production of IRON robots by the end of 2026. The humanoid robots will first be tested in Xpeng retail stores before commercial deliveries begin in China and international markets starting in 2027.

He Xiaopeng said in late May that robotics hardware and related artificial intelligence models are expected to become primary sources of revenue and gross margins for the company.

The electric vehicle maker reported a 17.6% decline in first-quarter revenue compared to the same period last year. Net losses widened from the previous year, reversing the company's first quarterly profit achieved in the fourth quarter.