Tesla targets 20,000 robot units weekly as Optimus line hits production scale
Tesla's humanoid robot program is moving into high-volume manufacturing, with a target of producing tens of thousands of units per week as it develops a self-training method for its AI.
By Ken Adams ·
Tesla has begun manufacturing its Optimus humanoid robot at a production capacity of 20,000 units per week, marking a significant step toward its goal of mass-producing the machine. The company stated in its third quarter shareholder letter that these are the first units meeting production-quality standards for commercial viability.
The production line is located in a Fremont factory space previously used for the Model S and Model X. Tesla cleared the old vehicle line in 46 days to establish capacity for one million robot units annually. On Wednesday's earnings call, Elon Musk said most of the required equipment for this capacity is already in place, with output set to climb toward roughly 20,000 robots a week as the line ramps.
Musk described the production ramp as a classic S curve, with a shallow initial slope. The team is currently focused on refining the robot's AI, electromechanical design, reliability, and service life, work Musk expects to be completed by the end of next year. Tesla plans to begin delivering Optimus to external companies for dangerous, repetitive, and around-the-clock jobs at that time.
A key challenge for the Optimus program is acquiring the necessary data for training its AI. Unlike its vehicles, which collect real-world driving data from millions of cars on the road, the Optimus robot lacks a comparable fleet. To address this, Tesla will create an Optimus Academy where 10,000 to 20,000 robots will practice a wide range of tasks and feed what they learn into the next version of the model.
Smarter hardware is also on the way, with Tesla planning to install its AI5 chip in Optimus next year. Musk said a new video demonstrating the robot completing tasks driven by AI rather than preprogrammed motions is expected within one or two months. The supply chain is also supporting this program, with Tesla certifying Tuopu, Joyson, and Sanhua as mass production partners for Optimus components in September.
A larger factory for the robot is also being built at Giga Texas, with a long-term production target of 10 million units a year. Tesla executives also stated that Optimus production costs are trending toward the expected manufacturing cost of Cybercab. The hands remain the most difficult part of the design, and that is where much of the current engineering effort is focused.
Source: Teslarati
