Tesla Starts Early Optimus Production, but Key Challenges Remain

Tesla has begun early production of its Optimus humanoid robot on a high-volume line in Fremont, California, CEO Elon Musk said on the company’s earnings call. Tesla called the machines its first “production-quality bots,” but did not say how many it had built or what tasks they can perform autonomously.

Musk said the robot’s hands, safety, reliability, durability, and artificial intelligence still need work. He said the AI and robot need substantial improvement before Optimus can handle open-ended tasks. Robotics professor Ken Goldberg told The Verge that producing hardware without capable software is a major problem.

Tesla plans to use robots to practice tasks and generate training data. Musk said the company needs roughly 10,000 to 20,000 robots for this effort, which he called “Optimus Academy.” Tesla also needs to integrate a new chip that Musk says will increase computing power.

Musk said deliveries to outside companies could begin around the end of 2027. Reaching a production rate of 20,000 robots a week will take at least a year, and possibly longer, he said. Equipment for a line designed to make a million robots annually is mostly in Fremont, but the design is still changing and Tesla must build a large factory and global supply chain.

Musk described industrial work as the first market, with home use coming as Optimus gains more capabilities. Goldberg said dexterity, speed, and reliability remain difficult problems, and he does not expect them to be solved in the next year or two.