Overview
- Tesla China president Wang Hao said Tuesday that the Shanghai Gigafactory could be the 'golden key' to scaling the Optimus humanoid robot to mass production.
- Tesla has reoriented operations toward robotics by ending Model S and Model X production and converting its Fremont, California, plant to build Optimus.
- Industry research firm Omdia reported Tesla shipped fewer than 500 general‑purpose robots in 2025, while company targets reported by financial media include Gen 3 volume production before late 2026 and an eventual 1 million units per year.
- Shanghai is Tesla’s highest‑output site, producing about 851,000 vehicles in 2025, and executives cite its mature supply base and speed as reasons it could take new products from prototypes to high-volume builds.
- The sector remains early and contested in China, with XPeng and state-owned automakers developing humanoids as analysts and reports flag wide uncertainty over when true mass production and broad commercial use will arrive.