Tesla Will Start Using Humanoid Robots Next Year, Says Elon Musk

Elon Musk recently claimed that Tesla will produce “genuinely useful” humanoid robots to start working in its factories next year. The Tesla CEO also said that the company will begin selling its Optimus humanoid robot in 2026. The earnings report of the company indicates that Optimus has already started performing tasks autonomously in one of Tesla’s facilities.

"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," wrote the billionaire in a post on X. During Tesla’s second-quarter earnings call, Elon Musk reportedly estimated that the long term demand for humanoid robots could surpass 20 billion units globally.

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

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 22, 2024

Elon Musk revealed the prototype of the Optimus robot in 2022. Last year, Tesla introduced the latest version of Optimus. On that occasion, the company claimed that the latest model is 10 kg lighter than the previous version. The billionaire's company has been working on a humanoid robot for years. According to a BBC report, some firms like Honda and Boston Dynamics are also working on developing their own humanoid robots.