Sticker price is never the real price. Here's the real cost breakdown of a humanoid robot over 3 years.
Acquisition price
2026 ballpark, to buy:
- Unitree G1: £13,000 ex-VAT (EU, customs not included).
- Tesla Optimus Gen 2: £18,000 target (production ramping, price not guaranteed).
- Figure 02: not sold per unit, lease only.
- 1X NEO: not sold per unit, subscription only.
Hidden costs
Beyond acquisition, expect:
- Customs + VAT (for US/CN imports): ~25 %. On a £13,000 G1, add £3,250 VAT + ~£400 customs.
- Maintenance: 5-10 % of acquisition price per year. £650 to £1,300/year for a G1.
- Spare parts: actuator failures, joint wear. £400 to £1,200/year depending on usage intensity.
- Energy: £1-2/day for charging in heavy use. Negligible compared to the rest.
- Software updates: free for Unitree (open source), paid for locked-in vendors (~£250-400/year for major patches).
Total cost over 3 years (TCO)
For a Unitree G1 bought at £13,000 ex-VAT:
| Item | 3-year total |
|---|---|
| Acquisition | £13,000 |
| VAT + customs | £3,650 |
| Maintenance (5 %/yr) | £1,950 |
| Spare parts | £2,000 |
| Energy | £400 |
| 3-year total | ~£21,000 |
That's ~£580/month over 3 years. Compare to £340/month leasing (£12,240 over 36 months, maintenance and spares included).
Leasing becomes competitive again
Once you factor hidden costs, £340-420/month leasing often beats buying over 3 years. One of the most counter-intuitive numbers in the market.
Our advice
Unless you'll use the robot 5+ years or have a very specific use case justifying ownership, leasing remains the most economical option. And that's before counting the value of being able to switch to Gen 3.