Tesla’s stock saw an increase on Monday, driven by Elon Musk’s ongoing discussions about the potential of the company’s humanoid robots.
On X, Musk stated, “Tesla will have genuinely useful humanoid robots in low production for internal use next year and, hopefully, high production for other companies in 2026.”
During Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting in April, Musk indicated that the Optimus robots would enter limited production by 2025, anticipating that by the end of that year, over 1,000 robots would be operational at Tesla. While two robots are already present on the factory floor, the company has not disclosed their specific tasks.
Musk also suggested that the robot product could potentially add $20 trillion to Tesla’s market value, although sales are not expected to begin until late 2025, with prices ranging from $20,000 to $30,000.
However, it remains unclear what Musk means when he refers to the robots as “genuinely useful.” Previous demonstrations of the technology have raised skepticism; in May, Tesla was accused of showing a video in which an Optimus robot appeared to fold a shirt, but it was later revealed that a person off-screen was controlling it.
This is not the first time Tesla has faced scrutiny for its presentations. The company initially introduced its Optimus robot project in 2021 by showcasing a dancer inside a robot costume.
MKM analyst Craig Irwin commented on Yahoo Finance, “A sentient humanoid robot by 2025? I mean come on, they tried to launch this product with a dancer inside of a robot suit. It’s going to be difficult for them to catch up to Boston Dynamics. What they’ve shown us is really state of the art for 2014.”
In addition to competing with Hyundai’s Boston Dynamics, Tesla faces competitors such as Japan’s Honda and Apptronik. Chinese companies Dongfeng Motor and Nio are testing humanoid robots from UBTech Robotics in their factories, while BMW has incorporated Silicon Valley’s Figure robots in its operations since January.
On the back of Musk’s statements, Tesla’s stock rose more than 3% on Monday. Year-to-date, shares have remained relatively unchanged, but they have bounced back significantly over the past couple of months.
Tesla is scheduled to report its second-quarter earnings on Tuesday, where Musk is expected to provide an update on the company’s postponed robotaxi launch.