Tesla’s humanoid robots will be in “low production” for internal usage next year, CEO Elon Musk said on Monday, months after announcing a rollout by the end of 2024.
The automaker would put the robots “hopefully” in high production for other companies by 2026, Musk stated in a post that opens a new tab on social networking site X.
Musk stated in April that the Tesla robot, named Optimus, would be able to do manufacturing activities by the end of this year and may be available for purchase as early as the end of 2025.
Japan’s Honda and Hyundai Motor’s Boston Dynamics have been developing humanoid robots for several years. Companies are relying on them to fill possible labor shortages and do repetitive operations that may be dangerous or tiresome, such as logistics, warehousing, and manufacturing.
Musk has a history of failing to keep big promises to Wall Street.
In 2019, he assured investors that Tesla would have a network of “robotaxi” self-driving cars by 2020.
Last week, he indicated that the unveiling of the robotaxi will take longer, citing “an important design change” to the vehicle’s front.
Tesla released the first generation of their Optimus robot, named Bumblebee, in September 2022. This year, the business shared a video of a second-generation bipedal robot folding a T-shirt at its factory.
Musk has recently shifted his focus to artificial intelligence, autonomous driving software, robotaxis, and the Optimus robot, citing declining demand for EVs, which account for more than 80% of Tesla’s quarterly sales.
Tesla is scheduled to disclose its second-quarter earnings on Tuesday, with Wall Street anticipating margins to reach a more than five-year low, but the spotlight will also be on Musk’s lofty plans for robotaxis and AI goods.
Tesla stock was up approximately 1% premarket on Monday.
