Tesla has initiated early mass production of its Optimus humanoid robots at the Fremont facility in California. The company converted lines previously used for Model S and Model X assembly to accommodate the new project, completing the reconfiguration in 46 days. According to Elon Musk, the current production setup is designed to support an annual output of up to one million units.
Reaching the target production rate of 20,000 robots per week is expected to take at least a year. The company is currently refining approximately 10,000 components and production parts. Key challenges include the development of robotic manipulators and supply chain constraints regarding rare-earth magnets from China. Future units will feature the AI5 chip, which offers increased computing power over the AI4 version.
Tesla aims to resolve remaining issues related to design, reliability, and service life by the end of 2027, at which point external shipments will commence. Initial deployment will focus on industrial applications for repetitive and hazardous tasks. Meanwhile, construction of a second robot manufacturing plant is underway in Texas, and the company plans to release footage of autonomous task execution soon.
