Tesla's humanoid robot Optimus is not productive

Tesla's robot Optimus is not as useful as has been claimed so far. Tesla CEO Elon Musk admitted this when presenting the current quarterly figures. Nevertheless, Tesla wants to start series production of the humanoid robot this year.

In the summer of 2024, Musk announced that the robot would be used in production from 2025 onwards. He admitted that he had been too hasty: Instead of the 10,000 Optimus units promised at the beginning of 2025, Tesla has built significantly fewer. Musk's announcement that the robots would perform useful tasks in the factory was also exaggerated.

The robot is currently only being used to a minor extent in Tesla's factories and is still learning, Musk said in the conference call with analysts and investors. However, they were obviously not a great help to the workers: "We had Optimus perform a few simple tasks in the factory."

Optimus sorts battery cells

This seems to be no further than mid-2024: In a video that Musk showed at the annual general meeting, an Optimus was seen sorting battery cells into a box. Musk admitted that the robot is still in its infancy. "It is still in the research and development phase."

Version 2.5, current Optimus, has problems with its hands. According to Musk, the successor is expected in the first quarter of 2026. Optimus Gen 3 will have "major upgrades". This includes a new hand, among other things. With the introduction of Gen 3, Tesla will phase out the older robots.

Optimus Gen 3 will then also be the version of the humanoid robot that Tesla wants to build in series. Series production is scheduled to start at the end of the year. Musk said that the plan is to build one million units per year.

The robots are to be built at Tesla's main plant in Fremont, California. To this end, production of the Model S and Model X will end in the second quarter of 2026. In 2025, for the first time in years, Tesla recorded a decline in revenue: profit was 46 percent lower than in the previous year.

(wpl)