Tesla shares increased on Monday as Elon Musk highlighted the potential of the company’s humanoid robots. Musk stated on X that Tesla plans to have “genuinely useful humanoid robots” in limited production for internal use by next year, with a hope to achieve higher production for external companies by 2026.
At Tesla’s annual meeting in April, Musk mentioned that the Optimus robots would enter limited production in 2025, with more than 1,000 expected to be operational by year-end. Currently, two robots are present on the factory floor, though Tesla has not disclosed their specific functions.
Musk speculated that the introduction of these robots could potentially add $20 trillion to the company’s market value. The robots are not anticipated to be available for sale until late 2025, with a projected price range between $20,000 and $30,000.
However, the definition of “genuinely useful” remains ambiguous. Previous demonstrations have faced criticism; for instance, a May video purportedly showing an Optimus folding a shirt was revealed to feature off-screen control by a person. The launch of the Optimus project in 2021 also faced skepticism due to a promotional event with a dancer in a robot costume.
Craig Irwin, an analyst at Roth MKM, commented on Yahoo Finance that achieving a sentient humanoid robot by 2025 seems unrealistic, especially given Tesla’s past promotional tactics. He expressed that catching up to companies like Boston Dynamics will be challenging, highlighting that Tesla’s technology appears outdated compared to current standards.
In addition to Boston Dynamics, Tesla will face competition from Honda, Apptronik, and Chinese manufacturers Dongfeng Motor and Nio, both of which are testing humanoid robots from UBTech Robotics. BMW has also incorporated Figure’s humanoid robots in its facilities since January.
Following Musk’s remarks, Tesla’s stock rose by over 3% on Monday, and the shares have stabilized year-to-date after substantial gains in recent months. Tesla is set to report its second-quarter earnings on Tuesday, where Musk is expected to provide an update on the delayed robotaxi project.