Would You Buy Your Next Car From a Robot? BYD's Showroom AI Plans Explained

Humanoid robot demonstrating a BYD electric car to a family in a modern showroom

Picture the scene.

You’ve decided it’s time to replace your car. You walk into your local dealership, expecting to be greeted by a salesperson.

Instead, a humanoid robot walks over.

It welcomes you, asks what kind of vehicle you’re looking for and starts explaining the differences between two models you’re considering. It can answer questions about battery range, demonstrate the infotainment system and even recommend the right specification based on how you drive.

It sounds like something we’d expect to see in 2040.

According to Chinese automotive giant BYD, it could become a reality within the next couple of years.

The company says it wants two or three humanoid robots in every dealership, helping customers learn about vehicles and making showroom visits more interactive.

The announcement immediately raises one question.

Would people actually want to buy a car from a robot?

The Car Showroom Has Changed Before

If you bought your first car twenty or thirty years ago, think back to what the experience was like.

You’d probably visit several dealerships, collect brochures, chat with salespeople and maybe spend the weekend deciding which model offered the best value.

Today, many buyers have already made up their minds before they even leave home.

They’ve watched YouTube reviews, compared specifications online, read owner forums and perhaps even configured the exact car they want on the manufacturer’s website.

By the time they walk into a showroom, they’re often looking to get confirmation rather than information.

That’s probably why BYD believes robotics could work.

More Than Just a Gimmick

According to BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li, the robots aren’t intended to replace sales staff.

Instead, they’ll support them.

The robots could greet visitors, explain vehicle features, compare different models and answer many of the technical questions customers ask every day.

On paper, it makes a lot of sense.

Modern cars have become incredibly complicated.

Explaining charging speeds, driver assistance systems, connected services and software updates takes time. A robot programmed with every specification could do that consistently for every customer.

Unlike people, it won’t forget which trim level includes a heat pump or confuse one battery size with another.

But Here’s the Interesting Part…

Buying a car isn’t like buying a television.

For most families, it’s one of the biggest purchases they’ll ever make.

It’s also surprisingly emotional.

People don’t just buy horsepower or battery capacity.

They buy the car they like the look of.

They buy the one that feels right after a test drive.

Sometimes they buy from the salesperson they trust most.

That’s the bit robots may have difficulty with.

You can programme facts.

Trust is rather more difficult.

We’ve Seen This Story Before

When supermarkets introduced self-service checkouts, plenty of people insisted they’d never use them.

Now they’re part of everyday life.

Online banking followed a similar path.

Then, online food shopping.

More recently, we’ve become used to speaking to AI assistants on our phones without giving them a second thought.

Perhaps robot sales assistants are simply the next step.

The first time you meet one might feel unusual.

The tenth time probably won’t.

China Is Moving Quickly

What’s particularly interesting is that this isn’t happening in Europe or America first.

Chinese manufacturers are driving much of the innovation.

Companies such as BYD, Omoda, Jaecoo, Nio, and Xpeng aren’t simply building electric vehicles. They’re increasingly more like state-of-the-art technology companies that also happen to manufacture cars.

These newly manufactured cars almost universally feature the likes of:

Large touchscreens.
Artificial intelligence.
Voice assistants.
Over-the-air software updates.
Autonomous driving technology.

Adding robotics to dealerships is almost the next logical step.

Would It Work in Britain?

That’s harder to answer.

British buyers can be traditional, especially when spending £30,000, £40,000 or considerably more on a new vehicle.

Some customers would probably enjoy the experience.

Others may actively avoid it.

Personally, I suspect the answer lies somewhere in the middle.

A robot could handle many routine questions,, while a salesperson steps in when conversations become more personal.

In reality, that’s probably what BYD expects too.

Even Stella Li has said the human relationships remain important.

One Question Nobody Seems to Be Asking

There’s another issue that caught my attention.

Should buyers automatically trust advice given by a robot built by the same company that’s trying to sell them a car?

A human salesperson has opinions, experience and judgement.

A robot will only know what it has been programmed to say.

That’s not necessarily a problem, but it’s something buyers should probably keep in mind.

As artificial intelligence becomes more common, learning when to question it may become just as important as learning when to trust it.

The Cars May Change, But the Financial Risks Don’t

Whether a person or a robot sells your next vehicle, ownership comes with the same financial facts.

New cars remain expensive.

Electric vehicles continue to evolve rapidly.

Depreciation still affects almost every new vehicle from the moment it’s driven away.

If that vehicle is written off or stolen, your motor insurer is likely to pay its market value at the time of the claim, not necessarily what you originally paid or what it costs to replace it.

That’s one reason many motorists continue to consider GAP Insurance when buying a newer vehicle.

Technology is changing the buying experience.

It doesn’t change the financial risks of owning an expensive car.

Final Thoughts

Five years ago, the idea of asking artificial intelligence to write an email, plan a holiday or answer technical questions felt unusual.

Today, millions of people do exactly that every day.

Robot sales assistants could follow a similar path.

Will they completely replace dealership staff?

Almost certainly not.

Could they become another familiar part of buying a car?

I wouldn’t bet against it.

After all, the motor industry has always welcomed new technology. This may simply be the next chapter.

Reviewed by
Mark Griffiths, Founding Director and GAP Insurance expert
Last reviewed: 27th June 2026