Tesla’s stock experienced an uptick on Monday as Elon Musk highlighted the potential value of the company’s humanoid robots. Musk took to social media platform X to announce that Tesla will have genuinely useful humanoid robots in limited production for internal use next year, with hopes for higher production levels for other companies by 2026.
During Tesla’s annual meeting in April, Musk indicated that the Optimus robots would enter limited production in 2025, with a projection of over 1,000 robots operational at Tesla by year’s end. Currently, two robots are being utilized on the factory floor, though their specific functions have not been disclosed.
Musk has previously suggested that the introduction of these robots could add $20 trillion to Tesla’s market capitalization. Although the robots are not expected to be available for sale until the end of 2025, their anticipated price ranges from $20,000 to $30,000.
However, it remains ambiguous what Musk means by “genuinely useful” robots, as past demonstrations have raised skepticism. In May, Tesla faced criticism for showcasing a video of an Optimus robot folding a shirt, which was allegedly manipulated by a person off-camera.
This is not the first instance where Tesla has faced backlash over its robot demonstrations; the Optimus project was first introduced in 2021 with a promotional video featuring a person dressed in a robot costume.
MKM analyst Craig Irwin commented on the situation, questioning the feasibility of achieving a sentient humanoid robot by 2025 and suggesting that Tesla’s technology is trailing compared to industry leaders like Boston Dynamics.
Tesla is competing not only against Boston Dynamics but also against Honda and Apptronik in the humanoid robotics space. Additionally, Chinese automakers Dongfeng Motor and Nio are testing humanoid robots from UBTech Robotics in their factories, while BMW has been utilizing humanoid robots from Figure since January.
Following Musk’s remarks, Tesla’s stock rose over 3% on Monday, although shares are relatively stable year-to-date after a significant rebound in recent months. Tesla is scheduled to report its second-quarter earnings on Tuesday, where Musk is expected to update investors on the delayed robotaxi project.