Tesla’s stock saw an uptick on Monday as Elon Musk highlighted the potential value of the company’s humanoid robots. Musk shared on social media that Tesla aims to introduce truly useful humanoid robots with low production for internal use next year, followed by larger-scale production for other businesses by 2026.
During Tesla’s annual meeting in April, Musk mentioned that the Optimus robot would enter limited production in 2025, expecting over 1,000 robots in operation by the year’s end. Currently, two robots are present on the factory floor, though Tesla has not disclosed their specific tasks.
Musk previously speculated that these robots could potentially add $20 trillion to Tesla’s market value. While the robots are not anticipated to be available for purchase until late 2025, their projected price range is between $20,000 and $30,000.
The exact definition of “genuinely useful” robots remains ambiguous, particularly given that past demonstrations have fallen short of expectations. For instance, Tesla faced allegations of exaggerating the capabilities of a robot in a video where an Optimus appeared to fold a shirt, but was supposedly being controlled by a human off-screen.
This is not Tesla’s first foray into showcasing the robots. The company revealed its Optimus project in 2021, featuring a dancer in a robot costume to display its capabilities.
Craig Irwin, an analyst at MKM, expressed skepticism regarding Musk’s timeline for delivering a sentient humanoid robot, arguing that Tesla’s prior presentations were outdated compared to current robotics technology, particularly that developed by competitors like Boston Dynamics.
In addition to Boston Dynamics, Tesla will face competition from Honda and Apptronik in Japan. Several Chinese manufacturers, such as Dongfeng Motor and Nio, are trialing humanoid robots from UBTech Robotics on their production lines. BMW has also incorporated robots from Silicon Valley-based Figure in its facilities since January.
Following Musk’s remarks, Tesla’s stock increased by more than 3% on Monday. Year-to-date, shares have remained relatively stable after a strong rebound in recent months. Tesla will report its second-quarter earnings on Tuesday, where Musk is expected to address updates regarding the much-anticipated robotaxi.