UQI, the smart logistics subsidiary of UBTECH, has completed the rollout of the first batch of its Chitu α autonomous logistics vehicles from Foxconn’s Zhengzhou New Energy Vehicle research and development center, marking the end of a key pre-production validation phase ahead of mass manufacturing.
The production marked the completion of the PVT (production validation test) stage, which is designed to verify manufacturing consistency, process stability and quality traceability under conditions that simulate full-scale production. The vehicles were built within Foxconn’s automotive-grade smart manufacturing system, creating what the companies described as a closed-loop process covering assembly, inspection and delivery.
During the PVT phase, Foxconn applied automotive-grade process controls and data logging across critical manufacturing steps, integrating them with inspection procedures to establish a traceable quality management system. Production data gathered during the rollout will be used to refine process parameters and production standards as output volumes increase.
Quality inspection included four-wheel alignment, side-slip testing, autonomous sensor calibration and rain testing, covering vehicle geometry, driving stability, autonomous system accuracy and sealing performance before delivery from the plant.
UQI also introduced embodied intelligence into the manufacturing process. Using the UPilot robot operating system, UBTECH’s humanoid robot Walker S2 worked alongside the Wali U1500 lifting robot to automate material feeding on the assembly line. The company said the multi-agent setup enabled fully autonomous material transfer from warehousing to production stations, improving logistics stability and flexibility.
“For autonomous logistics vehicles intended for long-term operation on open urban roads, manufacturing discipline and quality control are as critical as research and development,” the company said in a statement, adding that Foxconn’s automotive-grade systems helped establish commercial-vehicle-level benchmarks across production stages.
With the PVT phase completed, UQI said the Chitu α has entered a production ramp-up stage. The company plans to accelerate scenario-based validation and data collection as it prepares for large-scale deployment of autonomous logistics vehicles in urban environments.
