Tesla stock experienced an uptick on Monday as CEO Elon Musk emphasized the potential value of the company’s humanoid robots. Musk announced on X that Tesla plans to have humanoid robots in low production for internal use next year, with a wider release for other companies projected for 2026.
Back in April, Musk mentioned at Tesla’s annual meeting that the Optimus robots would enter limited production in 2025. By the end of that year, he expects over 1,000 robots to be operational at Tesla. Currently, two robots are already active on the factory floor, though Tesla has not specified their exact roles.
Musk has even speculated that this product could add $20 trillion to Tesla’s market capitalization. The robots are anticipated to be on sale by the end of 2025, with prices ranging from $20,000 to $30,000. However, the term “genuinely useful” used by Musk to describe the robots remains ambiguous, especially since past demonstrations have drawn criticism. For instance, Tesla faced accusations in May of posting a video featuring an Optimus robot folding a shirt, which was allegedly controlled by someone off-screen.
This isn’t Tesla’s first controversial robot demonstration. In 2021, the company introduced the Optimus robot project with a person dancing in a costume. Roth MKM analyst Craig Irwin expressed skepticism on Yahoo Finance, questioning Tesla’s ability to produce a viable humanoid robot by 2025 and comparing it to Boston Dynamics, which he says is ahead in robotic technology.
Tesla faces competition from several companies in the humanoid robot market, including Hyundai Motor’s Boston Dynamics, Honda, Apptronik, and Chinese automakers like Dongfeng Motor and Nio. BMW has already begun utilizing humanoid robots from Silicon Valley’s Figure in its facilities.
Tesla’s stock rose more than 3% on Monday following Musk’s comments but remains relatively flat year-to-date despite a significant recovery over the last two months. The company is set to report its second-quarter earnings on Tuesday, where Musk is expected to provide updates on the delayed robotaxi unveiling.