Tesla has set up a high-volume production line at its Fremont factory to start producing Optimus robots, claiming these are the first mass-produced robots that meet real product standards. In its third-quarter shareholder letter, Tesla wrote, "The robots on this production line are the first production-quality robots we have manufactured." The production line was originally used for Model S and Model X until it was repurposed this spring. According to a report by Teslarati in July, Tesla cleared the old vehicle production line in 46 days to make way for the production of one million robots annually.
During Wednesday's earnings call, Elon Musk stated that most of the production equipment is already at Fremont, and output will gradually increase as the production line ramps up, ultimately reaching a weekly output of about 20,000 robots. Musk described this growth process as a classic S-curve, noting that "the growth of Optimus is an S-curve, but the slope of the initial curve is relatively flat." Currently, the team is fine-tuning the robot's artificial intelligence, electromechanical design, reliability, and lifespan, with Musk expecting this work to be completed by the end of next year, at which point Tesla plans to start delivering Optimus to external companies for hazardous, repetitive, and round-the-clock tasks.
Tesla Plans to Start Delivering Optimus Robots to External Companies in 2024
A key highlight of the call was Tesla's plan for teaching the robots. Its vehicles have been sending real driving data back to the AI team from millions of cars, but Optimus does not yet have such a fleet. Musk stated, "A significant difference with Optimus compared to cars is that we do not have such a large fleet to collect training data." Tesla's solution is to establish an Optimus Academy, where 10,000 to 20,000 robots will practice various tasks and feed the knowledge they acquire back into the next version of the model.
Every robot that comes off the Fremont production line will serve as a source of training data.
Smarter hardware is also on the way. Tesla plans to incorporate its AI5 chip into Optimus next year, with Musk indicating that a new Optimus video is expected to be released within one to two months, showcasing the robot performing AI-driven tasks rather than pre-programmed actions. He criticized competitors' humanoid robot demonstrations, arguing that these merely executing pre-set programs are not viable in the real world.
The supply chain is also preparing for the plan. In September, Tesla certified Tuopu, Joyson, and Sanhua as mass production partners for Optimus components. Additionally, a larger Optimus factory is under construction at Giga Texas, with drone footage from Joe Tegtmeyer showing the steel framework nearing completion. Musk has set a long-term goal for the factory to produce 10 million robots annually. Tesla executives also stated that the production costs for Optimus are trending toward the expected manufacturing costs of Cybercab, indicating that the robot has been designed for mass production from the outset.
Musk also mentioned earlier this month during the X Takeover event that the design of the robot's hands remains the most challenging aspect, and most of the engineering work is currently focused in this area.