Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently announced on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that the company’s humanoid robot, Optimus, will see a revised production timeline. While he previously aimed for rollout by the end of 2024, Optimus will now enter “low production” for internal use at Tesla in 2025.
“Tesla will have genuinely useful humanoid robots in low production for Tesla internal use next year and, hopefully, high production for other companies in 2026,” he wrote.This update comes after Musk’s earlier statement in April that Optimus would be performing factory tasks by the end of 2024 and potentially available for sale by 2025.
This isn’t the first time Musk has adjusted ambitious deadlines. In 2019, he promised Tesla’s “robotaxi” network would be operational by 2020. Just last week, he hinted at further delays for the robotaxi, requesting a “design change” to the vehicle.
Despite these delays, Tesla has made progress with Optimus. Bumblebee, the first generation, was unveiled in September 2022. This year, a video showcased the second generation bipedal robot folding a T-shirt.
This shift in focus towards artificial intelligence, autonomous driving software, and robotics reflects Tesla’s strategy as demand for electric vehicles (currently comprising over 80% of their revenue) shows signs of tapering.