# How long does a humanoid robot actually run

> 22 of 182 humanoids on record quote a runtime. The claims run from 1 to 8 hours with a median of 4, and of the 44 machines you can order, 4 say anything at all.

Published: 2026-09-06
Section: Explainer
Author: Geert Jan van Vlastuin, Editor, humanoid.observer
Canonical: https://humanoid.observer/blog/how-long-does-a-humanoid-robot-actually-run/
Licence: editorial text all rights reserved. The underlying data is CC BY 4.0 at https://humanoid.observer/data/.
Cite as: humanoid.observer, https://humanoid.observer/blog/how-long-does-a-humanoid-robot-actually-run/, accessed <date>.

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Our database holds 182 humanoid robots. 22 of them say how long they run on a charge. The claims go from 1 hour to 8, with a median of 4. Seven records give the battery in kilowatt-hours. Of the 44 machines you can order today, 4 quote a runtime and 1 quotes a battery size. Not one record, of 182, gives a charge time or a cycle count.

## Twenty-two say how long. 160 do not.

A runtime figure is the easiest specification a maker can publish. It needs a stopwatch. 12 percent of our records have one.

The silence is spread evenly. China has 65 humanoids on record and 8 publish a runtime. The United States has 44 and publishes 6. Japan has 24 and publishes 2. Among the 40 enterprise-only machines, 7 quote hours; among the 78 not for sale, 7; among the 44 you can order, 4. Machines sold through a sales conversation are slightly more talkative than the ones with a checkout button, the wrong way round for a buyer.

Some of the loudest records say nothing. [UBTech](/companies/ubtech/)'s [Walker S1](/robots/ubtech-walker-s1/) has six deployment rows in our data, more than any other machine, and [Digit](/robots/agility-digit/) from [Agility Robotics](/companies/agility-robotics/) has four; neither record gives a runtime or a battery figure. [Tesla](/companies/tesla/) published a 2.3 kWh battery for [Optimus Gen 1](/robots/tesla-optimus-gen-1/) in 2022 and has never published hours for any generation; the [Gen 2](/robots/tesla-optimus-gen-2/) record mentions batteries only because the robot sorts battery cells at Fremont. [Boston Dynamics](/companies/boston-dynamics/)' electric [Atlas](/robots/boston-dynamics-atlas-electric/) says nothing. [Unitree](/companies/unitree/) gives both figures for the [G1](/robots/unitree-g1/), a pack size but no hours for the [H1](/robots/unitree-h1/), and nothing for the H2 or R1.

## One hour to eight, and the eights are mostly on wheels

Every quoted runtime in our data, with the two records that give a battery but no hours at the bottom.

| Machine | Maker | Form | Weight | Quoted runtime | Battery | Availability | Teleoperation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Kepler K2 Bumblebee](/robots/kepler-k2-bumblebee/) | [Kepler](/companies/kepler/) | biped | 85 kg | 8 h | 2.33 kWh | enterprise only | partial |
| [Pudu D7](/robots/pudu-d7/) | [Pudu](/companies/pudu/) | wheeled | 45 kg | 8 h | not given | enterprise only | partial |
| [REEM](/robots/pal-reem/) | [PAL Robotics](/companies/pal-robotics/) | wheeled | 100 kg | 8 h | not given | discontinued | partial |
| [AIDOL](/robots/aidol/) | [New Technology Coalition](/companies/new-technology-coalition/) | biped | not given | 6 h | not given | not for sale | unknown |
| [EVE](/robots/1x-eve/) | [1X](/companies/1x/) | wheeled | 86 kg | 6 h | not given | discontinued | yes |
| [GAC GoMate](/robots/gac-gomate/) | [GAC](/companies/gac/) | wheeled | not given | 6 h | not given | not for sale | unknown |
| [Figure 03](/robots/figure-03/) | [Figure AI](/companies/figure-ai/) | biped | 60 kg | 5 h | 2.3 kWh | not for sale | no |
| [Figure 02](/robots/figure-02/) | [Figure AI](/companies/figure-ai/) | biped | 70 kg | 5 h | 2.25 kWh | enterprise only | no |
| [Figure 01](/robots/figure-01/) | [Figure AI](/companies/figure-ai/) | biped | 60 kg | 5 h | 2.25 kWh | not for sale | no |
| [Menteebot](/robots/mentee-menteebot/) | [Mentee Robotics](/companies/mentee-robotics/) | biped | 70 kg | 5 h | not given | enterprise only | partial |
| [AEON](/robots/hexagon-aeon/) | [Hexagon](/companies/hexagon/) | legs and wheels | not given | 4 h | not given | enterprise only | partial |
| [Apollo](/robots/apptronik-apollo/) | [Apptronik](/companies/apptronik/) | biped | 73 kg | 4 h | not given | not for sale | partial |
| [HMND 01](/robots/humanoid-hmnd-01/) | [Humanoid](/companies/humanoid/) | biped | 70 kg | 4 h | not given | enterprise only | partial |
| [NEO](/robots/1x-neo/) | [1X](/companies/1x/) | biped | 30 kg | 4 h | not given | preorder, $20,000 | yes |
| [Unitree G1](/robots/unitree-g1/) | [Unitree](/companies/unitree/) | biped | 35 kg | 2 h | 0.75 kWh | in stock, $13,500 | partial |
| [Fourier GR-2](/robots/fourier-gr-2/) | [Fourier](/companies/fourier/) | biped | 63 kg | 2 h | not given | enterprise only, $125,000 | partial |
| [Fourier N1](/robots/fourier-n1/) | [Fourier](/companies/fourier/) | biped | 38 kg | 2 h | not given | in stock, $40,000 | partial |
| [LimX TRON 1](/robots/limx-tron-1/) | [LimX Dynamics](/companies/limx-dynamics/) | biped, legs only | 20 kg | 2 h | not given | in stock, $15,000 | partial |
| [Xpeng PX5](/robots/xpeng-px5/) | [Xpeng](/companies/xpeng/) | biped | not given | 2 h | not given | not for sale | unknown |
| [ASIMO](/robots/asimo/) | [Honda](/companies/honda/) | biped | 48 kg | 1 h | not given | discontinued | partial |
| [FEDOR](/robots/fedor-skybot-f-850/) | [Android Technics](/companies/android-technics/) | biped | 160 kg | 1 h | not given | not for sale | yes |
| [Sony QRIO](/robots/sony-qrio/) | [Sony](/companies/sony/) | biped | 7.3 kg | 1 h | not given | discontinued | no |
| [Optimus Gen 1](/robots/tesla-optimus-gen-1/) | [Tesla](/companies/tesla/) | biped | 73 kg | not given | 2.3 kWh | not for sale | partial |
| [Unitree H1](/robots/unitree-h1/) | [Unitree](/companies/unitree/) | biped | 47 kg | not given | 0.864 kWh | enterprise only | partial |

Three records claim 1 hour, five claim 2, four claim 4, four claim 5, three claim 6 and three claim 8. The 1-hour machines are ASIMO from 2000, QRIO from 2002 and FEDOR from 2016, all retired. The 2-hour machines are all from 2023 to 2025, and three of the five are in stock. The bottom of the current market has moved from one hour to two.

Form matters more than year. The 17 bipeds have a median of 4 hours. The 5 wheeled machines have a median of 6, and two of the three 8-hour claims are on wheels: REEM, a 100 kg machine from 2010 that is no longer made, and the Pudu D7. The only walking robot that claims a full 8 hours is the [Kepler K2 Bumblebee](/robots/kepler-k2-bumblebee/), and its own record calls it a claim.

## What the kilowatt-hours say

Seven records give a pack size. Five of them, every full-size body in the set, sit within 0.08 kWh of each other: 2.25, 2.25, 2.3, 2.3 and 2.33 kWh, for machines of 60 to 85 kg. That convergence lets us do arithmetic the makers do not.

| Machine | Battery | Quoted runtime | Hours per kWh | Implied average draw | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Kepler K2 Bumblebee](/robots/kepler-k2-bumblebee/) | 2.33 kWh | 8 h | 3.43 | 291 W | 85 kg |
| [Unitree G1](/robots/unitree-g1/) | 0.75 kWh | 2 h | 2.67 | 375 W | 35 kg |
| [Figure 01](/robots/figure-01/) | 2.25 kWh | 5 h | 2.22 | 450 W | 60 kg |
| [Figure 02](/robots/figure-02/) | 2.25 kWh | 5 h | 2.22 | 450 W | 70 kg |
| [Figure 03](/robots/figure-03/) | 2.3 kWh | 5 h | 2.17 | 460 W | 60 kg |

[Figure AI](/companies/figure-ai/) has quoted 5 hours across three generations and the arithmetic is steady: about 450 W on average from a 2.25 to 2.3 kWh pack. Kepler puts a pack of the same size in a body 15 kg heavier than Figure 02 and quotes 8 hours, which needs 291 W. Either the K2 uses a third less energy than Figure's machine while carrying more, or the two companies are measuring different things, such as standing versus working. Neither says. The G1's 0.75 kWh for 2 hours implies 375 W for a 35 kg machine, and our verdict on it notes two hours in practice, the only figure here that did not come from a maker.

[Tesla](/companies/tesla/)'s 2.3 kWh for Optimus Gen 1 came from its 2022 specification and has no hours next to it. [Xpeng Iron](/robots/xpeng-iron/) announces a solid-state battery for a version planned for mass production in late 2026, with no capacity and no runtime.

## Of the 44 you can order, 4 tell you

We covered the price bands in [how much a humanoid costs](/blog/how-much-does-a-humanoid-robot-cost/). Here is what the same bands know about their batteries.

| Price band | Orderable machines | Quote a runtime | Quote a battery | What is said |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $1,000 | 7 | 0 | 0 | [Reachy Mini](/robots/reachy-mini/): $299 tethered, $449 with a battery, no capacity |
| $1,000 to $10,000 | 7 | 0 | 0 | Nothing |
| $10,000 to $50,000 | 11 | 4 | 1 | G1 2 h and 0.75 kWh; TRON 1 2 h; N1 2 h; NEO 4 h |
| $50,000 and up | 2 | 0 | 0 | Nothing |
| No public price | 17 | 0 | 0 | Nothing |

Fourteen machines under $10,000 and not one runtime between them. The [Pollen Robotics](/companies/pollen-robotics/) [Reachy Mini](/robots/reachy-mini/) is the only record in the band that mentions a battery, as the $150 difference between the tethered Lite and the wireless version. Everything with a runtime sits between $13,500 and $40,000, and three of those four say 2 hours. The longest quoted runtime on anything you can order is [NEO](/robots/1x-neo/) at 4 hours, and NEO is the machine whose Expert Mode is a person driving it remotely. Above $50,000, and across the 17 orderable machines with no public price, nobody says.

## What an eight-hour shift means against these numbers

Against the median of 4 hours, a shift is two full charges. Against the orderable machines, a shift is four charges of a G1, N1 or TRON 1, or two of a NEO. Only 3 of 182 records claim a single charge covers a shift, one of them walks, and none of the three can be ordered.

The second half of the sum is missing. No record gives a charge time. The closest is [Figure 03](/robots/figure-03/), which lists wireless charging at 2 kW; at that rate its 2.3 kWh pack refills in a little over an hour, if the rate holds all the way, which Figure does not say. So a 2-hour biped on an 8-hour shift is four charges of unknown length, or several robots taking turns, or a swap.

Our [52 deployment rows](/blog/where-humanoids-actually-work-52-deployments/) do not help. Two of them use the word battery. One is Optimus sorting cells for Tesla. The other is [Walker S2](/robots/ubtech-walker-s2/) swapping its own. Not one records hours worked per charge, uptime, or how many packs a site keeps.

## The swap: what has been seen, and what has only been said

Four records say the pack can be swapped. [Apollo](/robots/apptronik-apollo/) from [Apptronik](/companies/apptronik/) quotes a 4-hour swappable battery and is piloted by Mercedes-Benz, GXO and Jabil, with partial teleoperation. [Hexagon](/companies/hexagon/)'s [AEON](/robots/hexagon-aeon/) has hot-swappable batteries, about 4 hours, on legs with wheels. [Fourier GR-2](/robots/fourier-gr-2/) doubled the capacity of GR-1, made the pack swappable, and still quotes about 2 hours. And [UBTech](/companies/ubtech/)'s [Walker S2](/robots/ubtech-walker-s2/), unveiled in July 2025, is the first humanoid to exchange its own battery, in about 3 minutes, on video.

Two of these have been observed outside a launch video. Walker S2 has been in factories named by UBTech, including BYD, Foxconn, Dongfeng Liuzhou and Zeekr, since October 2025, with battery swapping listed in the task; our record marks the autonomy as mixed and the delivered count as pending verification. UBTech publishes neither the pack size nor the hours between swaps, so "round-the-clock" is a claim about the swap, not about the battery.

The other observation is a race. On 19 April 2025, 21 humanoid teams ran a 21 km half marathon in Beijing's Yizhuang district. [X-Humanoid](/companies/x-humanoid/)'s [Tiangong Ultra](/robots/tiangong-ultra/) won in 2 hours 40 minutes, with a human pacer alongside and batteries swapped during the race. Six of 21 finished; several fell or overheated. It is the most public endurance test in our data, and the winner needed fresh packs to cover 21 km in under three hours.

None of this is new. [Honda P2](/robots/honda-p2/) carried its own batteries and computers in December 1996 and weighed 210 kg. Atlas went untethered in 2015. Thirty years on, the question has moved from whether the robot can carry its battery to whether the battery can carry a shift, and the makers answer it 22 times out of 182.

## What to ask about the battery

Four questions, and how many of 182 records answer each.

Is the pack swappable, and can the robot keep running while it happens? Four records say swappable (Apollo, GR-2, AEON, Walker S2). One says hot-swappable (AEON). One swaps by itself (Walker S2). The other 178 do not say.

How long does a full charge take, at what power? Zero records give a time. One gives a charger rating (Figure 03, 2 kW).

How many cycles is the pack rated for, and what does the warranty cover? Zero records give a cycle count. Of 42 buy records, one lists a warranty at all: NEO, three years on the Early Access purchase, with no separate battery term.

How long does it run doing the job you are buying it for, not standing still? 22 quote a figure. None says what the robot was doing when it was measured.

If you are choosing a machine for a shift, take the quoted hours, halve them for work rather than standing, and assume you will measure the charge time yourself. Then count the shift in packs and robots, not in hours. The only maker that has put a full working day on record did it with a 3-minute swap, and even that record does not say how long the pack lasts between swaps.

## Sources

- [Unitree G1 product page](https://www.unitree.com/g1), Unitree
- [Introducing Figure 03](https://www.figure.ai/news/introducing-figure-03), Figure AI
- [Kepler Robotics official site](https://www.gotokepler.com/), Kepler
- [UBTech Walker S2 page](https://www.ubtrobot.com/), UBTech
- [X-Humanoid official site](https://www.x-humanoid.com/), X-Humanoid
- [Apollo](https://apptronik.com/apollo), Apptronik
- [NEO](https://www.1x.tech/neo), 1X
- [Fourier GR-2 page](https://www.fftai.com/products-gr2), Fourier