Tesla · Robotics
Optimus: production has started, but the robot isn't finished
Tesla's humanoid robot. Production started on converted Model S/X space at Fremont in late summer 2026 and was reported at several hundred units a week in August, almost all kept in-house for testing, training and data collection. The production-intent V3 has still not been publicly revealed. Tesla has published no V3 spec sheet, no price and no customer deliveries.
Targets vs reality
What was promised, what has happened| Item | Promised / target | Reality (Oct 7, 2026) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 output | ~10,000 robots built in 2025 (Jan 2025) Electrek | Missed. In Jan 2026 Musk said no Optimus units were doing useful work yet ElectrekElectrek | Missed |
| V3 reveal | Q1 2026 (Q4'25 update), then 'probably middle of this year' (Apr 2026) TeslaElectrek | Not revealed as of late Sep 2026; no new date in the Q2 update Electrek | Missed |
| Fremont start | Late July or August 2026 Electrek | Start reported late August; ramped to several hundred/wk in August (The Information) GetTeslaElectrek | Reported |
| Year-end rate | >1,000 robots / week by end of 2026 (internal aim) Electrek | Several hundred/wk as of August; Musk: output 'literally impossible to predict' ElectrekElectrek | Not yet |
| Fremont capacity | 1M robots / yr from the first line TeslaTeslarati | Q2'26 capacity table still lists Optimus California as 'Construction' Tesla | Not yet |
| Giga Texas plant | Second factory ~summer 2027, higher-volume Gen 4; Musk talks of 10M / yr ElectrekTeslarati | Steel going up since May 27, 2026; 'in full swing' per Q2 update TeslaratiTesla | Not yet |
| Price | <$25k–$30k over time, 'less than half a car' Teslarati | No price or sale date. Tesla reportedly plans to lease, not sell, to select companies first Electrek | Not yet |
| 1M Bots milestone | 1M cumulative Bots delivered: one of the 2025 CEO award milestones SEC / CNBCTesla | 0 delivered to customers disclosed Tesla | Not yet |
Target: ~10,000 robots built in 2025 (Jan 2025)
ElectrekReality: Missed. In Jan 2026 Musk said no Optimus units were doing useful work yet
ElectrekElectrekTarget: Q1 2026 (Q4'25 update), then 'probably middle of this year' (Apr 2026)
TeslaElectrekReality: Not revealed as of late Sep 2026; no new date in the Q2 update
ElectrekTarget: Late July or August 2026
ElectrekReality: Start reported late August; ramped to several hundred/wk in August (The Information)
GetTeslaElectrekTarget: >1,000 robots / week by end of 2026 (internal aim)
ElectrekReality: Several hundred/wk as of August; Musk: output 'literally impossible to predict'
ElectrekElectrekTarget: 1M robots / yr from the first line
TeslaTeslaratiReality: Q2'26 capacity table still lists Optimus California as 'Construction'
TeslaTarget: Second factory ~summer 2027, higher-volume Gen 4; Musk talks of 10M / yr
ElectrekTeslaratiReality: Steel going up since May 27, 2026; 'in full swing' per Q2 update
TeslaratiTeslaTarget: <$25k–$30k over time, 'less than half a car'
TeslaratiReality: No price or sale date. Tesla reportedly plans to lease, not sell, to select companies first
ElectrekTarget: 1M cumulative Bots delivered: one of the 2025 CEO award milestones
SEC / CNBCTeslaReality: 0 delivered to customers disclosed
TeslaSpecs by generation
Only Tesla-stated or documented figures. Everything else is 'Not disclosed'| Weight | 73 kgConfirmed Tech Weekly |
|---|---|
| Battery | 2.3 kWh · 52 VConfirmed Pack in the torso Tech Weekly |
| Actuators | 28 structuralConfirmed Tech Weekly |
| Hands | 11 DoF eachConfirmed Tech Weekly |
| Speed | Not disclosedNot yet Barely walked on stage Electrek |
| Weight | ~10 kg lighterClaim / target Tesla claim vs. prior build; absolute weight not given Electrek |
|---|---|
| Walking speed | +30%Claim / target Tesla claim vs. prior build Electrek |
| Actuators / sensors | All Tesla-designedConfirmed Electrek |
| Hands | New hand designConfirmed DoF not stated in the Gen 2 video Electrek |
| Autonomy at events | Partly teleoperatedReported 'We, Robot' Oct 2024: walking AI-driven, interactions human-controlled TechCrunch |
| Hand + forearm | 25 linear actuators / armClaim / target 23 for the hand, 2 for the wrist; tendon-driven (patent filings) EV |
|---|---|
| Total hand actuators | 50Claim / target Musk, Nov 2025 EV |
| Height / weight | Not disclosedUnverified Spec sheets with exact figures circulating online are not from Tesla no public source |
| Battery / runtime | Not disclosedNot yet no public source |
| Top speed / payload | Not disclosedNot yet no public source |
| Design intent | First design for mass productionConfirmed Tesla Q4 2025 update Tesla |
| Hand assembly | >100 screws, fitted by handReported Fixtures misalign; replaceable 'sensing glove' planned for 2027 Electrek |
Milestone timeline
Oldest first · dot color = status- Sep 30, 2022First walking prototypeConfirmed
AI Day 2022: 73 kg, 2.3 kWh pack, 28 actuators.
Tech Weekly - Dec 12, 2023Optimus Gen 2 videoConfirmed
Tesla-designed actuators, 10 kg lighter, 30% faster walking, new hands.
Electrek - Oct 10, 2024'We, Robot' eventReported
Robots served drinks and talked to guests, but those interactions were remotely operated by people.
TechCrunch - Jan 202510,000-unit 2025 goalMissed
Musk said Tesla aimed to build about 10,000 Optimus robots in 2025. It didn't.
Electrek - Jun 6, 2025Program head leavesConfirmed
Optimus VP Milan Kovac departed; AI chief Ashok Elluswamy took over. Kovac became a Hyundai adviser in Jan 2026.
TechCrunchAP via WEVE - Sep 2, 2025'~80% of Tesla's value'Claim / target
Musk posted that about 80% of Tesla's value will come from Optimus.
Fortune - Nov 6, 2025Pay package with 1M-bot milestoneConfirmed
Shareholders approved the 2025 CEO award (1.89B votes for, 565M against). Musk showed V2.5 and said the first line would be built for 1M robots a year.
SEC / CNBCTeslaTeslarati - Apr 22, 2026Q1 call: V3 slips againConfirmed
Reveal moved to 'probably middle of this year'. Fremont production planned for late Jul/Aug; ~10,000 unique parts; Giga Texas plant ~summer 2027.
Electrek - May 27, 2026Giga Texas Optimus factoryReported
First steel for the dedicated Optimus building on the North Campus.
Teslarati - Jul 22, 2026Q2 update: lines going inConfirmed
S/X lines decommissioned and first-gen Optimus lines being installed. Initial builds go to the 'Optimus Academy' for training data.
Tesla - Sep 25, 2026Hands and AI flagged as bottlenecksReported
Hand/forearm assembly is manual and the AI still can't generalize: basic tasks take days to learn.
ElectrekThe Cool Down - Oct 1–2, 2026AI5 memory flip-flopClaim / target
Musk cut AI5 to 72GB LPDDR5 for Optimus volume, then raised it to 96GB a day later. AI6 set at 144GB LPDDR6.
TeslaNorthTeslaNorth
Production & supply chain
Fremont now, Giga Texas nextEach hand/forearm has more than 100 screws fitted by hand, and fixtures misalign. A replaceable 'sensing glove' is planned for next year.
ElectrekMotors and precision gears come largely from Chinese suppliers. Musk: 'there is no supply chain' for humanoids.
ElectrekBusiness InsiderAI & compute stack
AI5/AI6, training data, generalizationAI5 production is planned for 2027 and AI6 for 2028, built by Samsung and TSMC (not Terafab). Memory was cut to 72GB LPDDR5 for Optimus volume on Oct 1, then raised to 96GB on Oct 2.
TeslaTom's HardwareTeslaNorthTeslaNorth>500k hours collected, with a goal of doubling it by year-end. Collectors wear camera helmets and mocap suits; training hubs are in Colorado, Arizona and Florida.
ElectrekThe AI still can't generalize. Basic tasks take days to learn, and most units are used for testing and data collection.
ElectrekAshok Elluswamy, who leads Autopilot/AI, has run Optimus since Milan Kovac left in June 2025.
TechCrunchHumanoid competitor comparison
Public figures only · prices and valuations as disclosed| Company | Robot | Stage | Price / money | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla | Optimus V3 | Internal production (Fremont) | No price; leasing first | Several hundred/wk reported; 50 hand actuators (claimed) | |
| Figure AI | Figure 03 | Commercial pilots | $39B post-money (Series C, Sep 2025) | Raised >$1B in Series C | ConfirmedFigure AI |
| 1X | NEO | Consumer pre-orders | $20,000 or $499/mo | US home deliveries planned for 2026 | Confirmed1X |
| Agility Robotics | Digit | Paid deployments | Schaeffler strategic investor | Multi-year RaaS deal with GXO; Schaeffler plans a global rollout | ConfirmedAgility RoboticsAgility Robotics |
| Boston Dynamics | Atlas (electric) | Production 2026 | Hyundai-owned | First units to Hyundai RMAC and Google DeepMind; other customers early 2027. 4-hr battery with self hot-swap; 66 lb payload | ConfirmedA3 / Automate |
| Apptronik | Apollo | Pilots | $520M extension (Feb 2026) | Backed by Google and Mercedes-Benz | ConfirmedReuters |
| Unitree | G1 / H2 / R1 | Volume sales (China) | STAR IPO ~$9B valuation (Aug 2026) | Listed in Shanghai in August 2026 | ConfirmedReuters |
| XPeng | IRON | Line commissioned Sep 7, 2026 | >$900M raise at >$6.3B | 76 DoF body, 21 per hand, 3 Turing chips (2,250 TOPS). Mass production end-2026, launch 2027 | Claim / targetXPeng |
Internal production (Fremont)
No price; leasing first
Several hundred/wk reported; 50 hand actuators (claimed)
ElectrekEVCommercial pilots
$39B post-money (Series C, Sep 2025)
Raised >$1B in Series C
Figure AIPaid deployments
Schaeffler strategic investor
Multi-year RaaS deal with GXO; Schaeffler plans a global rollout
Agility RoboticsAgility RoboticsProduction 2026
Hyundai-owned
First units to Hyundai RMAC and Google DeepMind; other customers early 2027. 4-hr battery with self hot-swap; 66 lb payload
A3 / AutomatePilots
$520M extension (Feb 2026)
Backed by Google and Mercedes-Benz
ReutersVolume sales (China)
STAR IPO ~$9B valuation (Aug 2026)
Listed in Shanghai in August 2026
ReutersLine commissioned Sep 7, 2026
>$900M raise at >$6.3B
76 DoF body, 21 per hand, 3 Turing chips (2,250 TOPS). Mass production end-2026, launch 2027
XPengMusk on Optimus
Verbatim, with source“This is going to be the hardest product to scale manufacturing that we've ever made at Tesla.”
“There is no supply chain.”
“I just want to make sure to calibrate people correctly.”
“Literally impossible to predict.”
“~80% of Tesla's value will be Optimus.”
“Ends up costing less than half of a car.”
Latest news
Newest first- Oct 2, 2026AI5 bumped back up to 96GBClaim / target
Reversal one day after the cut to 72GB for Optimus volume.
TeslaNorth - Oct 1, 2026AI5/AI6 memory cut for Optimus scaleClaim / target
AI5 to 72GB LPDDR5, AI6 to 144GB LPDDR6 as memory supply tightens.
TeslaNorth - Sep 25, 2026The Information: hundreds a week, hands a bottleneckReported
Most units stay in testing; AI can't generalize; plan to lease, not sell.
ElectrekThe Cool Down - Sep 7, 2026XPeng commissions IRON lineClaim / target
A Chinese rival says it's targeting mass production by end-2026.
XPeng - Aug 27–30, 2026Fremont production reported startedReported
No unit count in a Tesla filing yet.
GetTesla - Jul 22, 2026Q2: first-gen lines being installedConfirmed
Optimus Academy; Musk: 'hardest product to scale'.
TeslaBusiness Insider
Not disclosed / unverified
Not filled in on purpose- Official V3 height, weight, battery capacity, runtime, speed and payload. Tesla hasn't published them.
- Exact cumulative Optimus units built. Only weekly rates reported by The Information exist; Tesla hasn't confirmed them.
- Unit cost or sale price for V3. No Tesla figure; third-party cost estimates are unverified.
- V3 reveal date. None announced as of Oct 7, 2026.
- Names of external lease customers. None disclosed.
Sources
32 references · open in new tab- 1.Q4 and FY 2025 Update · Tesla (SEC 8-K Ex. 99.1) · Jan 28, 2026
- 2.Q2 2026 Update · Tesla (SEC 8-K Ex. 99.1) · Jul 22, 2026
- 3.Shareholders approve Musk's 2025 CEO Performance Award (1M Bots milestone) · SEC / CNBC · Nov 6, 2025
- 4.Annual meeting vote results · Tesla (SEC 8-K) · Nov 2025
- 5.Tesla unveils Optimus Gen 2 · Electrek · Dec 12, 2023
- 6.Tesla's robot is a real robot now (AI Day 2022 recap) · Tech Weekly · Oct 1, 2022
- 7.Optimus bots were controlled by humans during 'We, Robot' · TechCrunch · Oct 14, 2024
- 8.Musk says Tesla aims to build 10,000 Optimus robots this year · Electrek · Jan 31, 2025
- 9.Tesla's Optimus robot VP is leaving the company · TechCrunch · Jun 6, 2025
- 10.Hyundai to appoint former head of Tesla's humanoid program as adviser · AP via WEVE · Jan 16, 2026
- 11.Musk says 80% of Tesla's value will come from Optimus · Fortune · Sep 2, 2025
- 12.Optimus price to be less than $25k–$30k over time: Musk · Teslarati · Mar 27, 2024
- 13.Optimus pilot line annual output (2025 shareholder meeting) · Teslarati · Nov 7, 2025
- 14.Tesla patents reveal Optimus Gen 3 forearm: 25 linear actuators · EV (eletric-vehicles.com) · 2026
- 15.Musk admits no Optimus robots are doing 'useful work' · Electrek · Jan 28, 2026
- 16.Tesla pushes Optimus V3 reveal later this year — again (Q1 call) · Electrek · Apr 22, 2026
- 17.Dedicated Optimus factory construction underway at Giga Texas · Teslarati · May 27, 2026
- 18.Musk laid out why it's so hard to make Optimus a reality (Q2 call) · Business Insider · Jul 23, 2026
- 19.Tesla says Optimus production has started at Fremont · GetTesla (citing The Motley Fool, Aug 27) · Aug 30, 2026
- 20.Tesla ramps Optimus to hundreds a week, but the robots can't generalize · Electrek (on The Information) · Sep 25, 2026
- 21.Hand troubles keep most Optimus units in testing · The Cool Down (on The Information) · Sep 2026
- 22.Tesla slashed AI5 chip memory to hit Optimus volume · TeslaNorth · Oct 1, 2026
- 23.Tesla reverses course on AI5 memory, bumps chip to 96GB · TeslaNorth · Oct 2, 2026
- 24.Series C: >$1B at $39B post-money · Figure AI · Sep 16, 2025
- 25.1X launches NEO · 1X (Business Wire) · Oct 27, 2025
- 26.GXO signs multi-year agreement with Agility · Agility Robotics · 2024
- 27.Strategic investment and agreement with Schaeffler · Agility Robotics · 2024
- 28.CES 2026: Boston Dynamics to ship first production Atlas this year · A3 / Automate · Jan 5, 2026
- 29.Apptronik raises $520 million (Google, Mercedes-Benz) · Reuters · Feb 11, 2026
- 30.Unitree prices Shanghai IPO at ~$9 billion valuation · Reuters · Aug 6, 2026
- 31.IRON walks off XPeng's humanoid production lines · XPeng (PR Newswire) · Sep 7, 2026
- 32.Musk confirms AI5 and AI6 will be made at Samsung and TSMC · Tom's Hardware · 2025