Tesla is scaling the production of its Optimus humanoid robot at the Fremont factory, utilizing assembly lines previously used for Model S and Model X vehicles. Output increased from several dozen units in Q2 2026 to several hundred per week by August 2026. The company aims to reach over 1,000 units per week by the end of 2026, with a long-term goal of 20,000 units weekly.
The V3 version of the Optimus hand and forearm consists of over 100 components requiring manual assembly. Because the supply chain for these parts is still developing, Tesla lacks the mature logistics used for its vehicle manufacturing. To date, the company has gathered over 500,000 hours of training data and intends to double this volume by the end of the year.
Early data collection required employees to perform physically demanding tasks while wearing heavy camera equipment, leading to injuries and health issues. In June 2025, Tesla transitioned to a vision-only recording method to mitigate these physical risks. Milan Kovac, the former leader of the Optimus project, left the company in 2025 as the focus shifted toward mass manufacturing design.
Currently, Optimus units serve primarily as internal tools for data collection and factory testing rather than commercial products. During the Q2 2026 earnings call, Elon Musk noted that developing an autonomous humanoid robot capable of handling diverse tasks remains a significant technical challenge.
