Tesla’s stock experienced an increase on Monday as Elon Musk emphasized the potential of the company’s humanoid robots. Musk announced on X that Tesla aims to produce humanoid robots for internal use next year and intends to achieve higher production levels for third-party companies by 2026.
DuringTesla’s annual shareholder meeting in April, Musk indicated that the Optimus robots would enter limited production by 2025, with expectations of more than 1,000 units operational at the company by year’s end. Although two robots are reportedly currently in use at Tesla’s factory, the specific tasks they perform remain undisclosed.
Musk previously estimated that the introduction of these robots could boost Tesla’s market capitalization by $20 trillion, although the robots are not anticipated to be available for sale until late 2025, with potential price tags ranging from $20,000 to $30,000.
The nature of the robots being “genuinely useful” is still up for debate. Tesla has faced criticism regarding product demonstrations; for instance, a recent video showed an Optimus robot folding a shirt, which was alleged to have been assisted by an individual off-screen.
Tesla’s approach to showcasing its robots has drawn skepticism, particularly after the 2021 launch featuring a dancer in a robot costume. Analyst Craig Irwin of Roth MKM remarked that creating a sentient humanoid robot by 2025 is overly ambitious, noting that the company’s robot developments appear to fall short of recent advancements made by competitors like Boston Dynamics.
In addition to Boston Dynamics, Tesla is also competing with manufactures such as Honda and Apptronik. Furthermore, Chinese firms such as Dongfeng Motor and Nio are exploring the use of humanoid robots from UBTech Robotics in their production lines, while BMW has been employing humanoid robots from Figure in its facilities since early this year.
Following Musk’s statements, Tesla’s stock rose by over 3% on Monday, maintaining steady performance year-to-date after significant gains in recent months. The company is set to report its second-quarter earnings on Tuesday, where Musk is expected to address updates regarding the delayed robotaxi launch.