Tesla

Tesla is a US automotive company developing the Optimus humanoid robot. In August 2026, production at the Fremont facility increased to several hundred units per week, with a target of over 1,000 units weekly by year-end. These units are currently used for internal testing and data collection rather than commercial delivery.

In September 2026, a Tesla team visited manufacturing facilities in the Ningbo region to assess supply chain capacity for scaling Optimus output. The company is also considering equipping workers at its Berlin factory with cameras to capture human movements for training data. Key challenges to mass production include the complexity of assembling the robot hand, sensor reliability, and reliance on Chinese suppliers.

In September 2026, renders explicitly labeled as Optimus Gen 3 were found within Tesla's Android app assets. These files first appeared in late August 2026 and depict a more enclosed exterior design compared to previous variants. The assets are located in a mock directory, suggesting they are development materials rather than confirmed final hardware or active features.

In October 2026, Tesla lowered the RAM specifications of its AI5 and AI6 chips to ensure component availability for Optimus manufacturing. The AI5 allocation was cut to 72GB and the AI6 to 144GB. The company stated this adjustment reduces costs while maintaining necessary memory bandwidth, with minimal expected impact on performance.

In October 2026, the steel framework of Tesla's dedicated Optimus factory at Giga Texas was reported to be approximately 40% complete. The facility is planned for limited initial production in late 2027, with a long-term ambition to produce around 10 million robots annually, while construction continues on upper structures and foundations.