Tesla builds hundreds of robots a week. Their AI still can't handle varied tasks.
Tesla now makes several hundred Optimus humanoid robots a week, up from a few dozen a week in the second quarter, The Information reported, according to Electrek on 25 September.
The target is more than 1,000 a week by the end of 2026.
Most stay inside Tesla, collecting data during testing and training. Three people familiar with the system told The Information that the AI "can't yet reliably handle a wide range of tasks" and can behave unpredictably in situations it has not been trained on. Teaching it even a basic task takes several days.
Parts of the assembly process are still manual. Each hand and forearm has more than 100 screws and small parts that workers put together by hand. The touch sensors are unreliable.
Tesla plans to offer the robots only through leases to companies with warehouses and factories that look like its own. Electrek's report carried no comment from Tesla.
In January 2025 Elon Musk said Tesla would build 10,000 robots that year. Electrek reported that in January 2026 he said none were doing useful work at Tesla yet.
What would a humanoid robot have to do in your warehouse before you signed a lease?
Sources
Our file on Tesla
- 3 Oct
Tesla delivered 2% fewer cars than a year ago. It beat Wall Street's forecast.
- 1 Oct
Tesla lined up $30 billion of credit. Its spending nearly triples this year.
- 27 Sept
Tesla's driver-assist software sped in 55% of Brussels 30 km/h zones tested.
- 23 Sept
Tesla wants 50,000 dollars up front. The price is still unknown.
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