Tesla’s stock is climbing on Monday as CEO Elon Musk continues to advocate for the potential value of the company’s humanoid robots.
“Tesla will have genuinely useful humanoid robots in low production for internal use next year and, hopefully, high production for other companies in 2026,” Musk said on Monday.
In April, while addressing shareholders at Tesla’s annual meeting, Musk mentioned that the Optimus robot would enter limited production in 2025. He predicted that more than 1,000 robots would be operational at Tesla by the end of the year. Currently, two robots are already on the factory floor, though their specific functions have not been disclosed.
Musk has previously speculated that the robots could potentially add $20 trillion to Tesla’s market capitalization. The robots are expected to go on sale by the end of 2025, with a price range between $20,000 and $30,000.
The exact nature of the “genuinely useful” robots remains unclear. Past product demonstrations have been underwhelming. In May, Tesla was accused of posting a manipulated video showing an Optimus folding a shirt, reportedly controlled by a person off-screen.
This is not the first time Tesla has used dramatic presentations for its robots. The Optimus project was launched in 2021 with a person dancing in a robot costume.
“A sentient humanoid robot by 2025? It’s hard to believe, especially considering their initial launch involved a dancer in a robot suit,” said Roth MKM analyst Craig Irwin on Yahoo Finance. “It’s going to be challenging for them to catch up to Boston Dynamics.”
Tesla faces competition from Hyundai Motor’s Boston Dynamics, Japan’s Honda, and Apptronik. Chinese automakers Dongfeng Motor and Nio are testing UBTech Robotics’ humanoid robots on their production lines. BMW has also been using humanoid robots from Silicon Valley-based Figure since late January.
Following Musk’s comments, Tesla’s stock rose more than 3% on Monday. Shares have remained relatively flat year-to-date but have seen a significant recovery over the past two months.
Tesla is set to report its second-quarter earnings on Tuesday, where Musk is expected to provide an update on the company’s delayed robotaxi unveiling.