Overview
- Elon Musk said on the company’s earnings call that building Optimus is a “very complex problem to solve” and that scaling its manufacture will be the hardest product Tesla has ever made.
- Musk said there is no existing supply chain for humanoid robots, forcing Tesla to develop custom motors, gears, sensors, chips, memory and packaging and to make some parts in‑house.
- Tesla released photos of a Fremont production line and said third‑generation production will start soon after the company retooled that plant and paused Model S/X output to make room for Optimus.
- Investors reacted sharply, pushing Tesla’s share price down about 14% after the call as the company reported negative free cash flow and flagged a slow, risky production ramp.
- Analysts and reporters note Optimus has yet to prove it can perform useful work autonomously, competitors have public deployments, and Tesla plans to train bots with its simulator and an "Optimus Academy" while a one‑million‑robot delivery target linked to Musk’s pay remains uncertain.