Elon Musk has revised the timeline for the Tesla Optimus humanoid robot, pushing back the rollout compared to earlier projections. Despite his earlier threat to halt AI projects at Tesla if he didn’t secure 25% control of the company, Musk has restructured Tesla around its AI initiatives, including the development of the Tesla Optimus robot.
The goal is to leverage Tesla’s existing technologies to create a humanoid robot capable of performing dangerous or repetitive tasks in industrial and commercial settings, with future plans for consumer use at home.
Previously, Musk had anticipated that Optimus would be operational for real tasks inside Tesla factories by the end of this year and that sales to external customers could start by late 2025. However, the updated timeline now aims for “low production” for internal use in Tesla factories next year, with “high production” for external clients expected in 2026.
Interestingly, Tesla has claimed that it currently has two Optimus robots already working autonomously within its factories.
