As a result, Tesla is said to be underachieving on their lofty new target to roll out 5,000 Optimus humanoid robots by 2025. Almost eight months into the year, the company has delivered just a few hundred of these robots. This disappointing output brings the serious question of its production capabilities.
Tesla’s current production, despite having previously forecasted much higher numbers, is well short of the production pace needed to meet the self-imposed goal. The automaker predicted it would need just under 1,000 Optimus bots available to launch the technology commercially. These groundbreaking robots have the potential to revolutionize automation and robotics throughout a variety of industries.
Even Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO and the company’s visionary leader, admitted as much during a disappointing earnings announcement last week. He mentioned that Tesla is still targeting production on the Optimus 3 design to start early next year. This update suggests an ongoing commitment to the project, although it implies a delay in realizing the full potential of the Optimus line.
“We will scale Optimus production as fast as possible and try to get to a million units a year as quickly as possible.” – Elon Musk
Musk’s comments above really emphasize a long-term vision for the company’s under-reported robotics ambitions. He further stated, “We think we can get there in less than five years. That’s a reasonable aspiration.” This statement presents a hopeful outlook for Tesla’s future in humanoid robotics, even as the current production figures fall short of expectations.
In addition to the Optimus robots, Musk previously made bold claims regarding the mass production of robotaxis by 2024, suggesting that Tesla is not new to setting ambitious timelines. Predictably, Musk’s ambitions have met with considerable skepticism, as he has previously claimed much the same about Optimus and various other tech projects.
Tesla has been making real, diligent efforts to move past its production hurdles. Environmental stakeholders are keenly interested to see if the company can pivot its programmatic approach and map sufficient resources toward realizing its aspirational goals. The promise to improve autonomous robot potential via the Optimus fare continues to be a central point of interest for Tesla’s innovation strategy.