1:17Tesla Optimus production: several hundred robots a week now, 1,000 targeted by year-end
Reports say Fremont is building several hundred Optimus humanoid robots a week on former Model S and X lines, with an internal target of 1,000 a week by the end of 2026.
Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot is moving from demo to production. According to reports gathered by Tech Insider on October 19, Tesla's Fremont factory is now building several hundred Optimus robots a week, with an internal target of 1,000 a week by the end of 2026.
Where they are built
Optimus is built in Fremont, California, on lines that used to make the Model S and Model X. Those two cars went out of production in April 2026, and Tesla said in April that the first-generation Optimus lines being installed there are designed for up to one million robots a year. A second-generation line at Gigafactory Texas is being prepared for a long-term output of ten million a year.
Read the numbers carefully
- Not confirmed by Tesla: the weekly figures come from industry reports, not from a Tesla statement.
- 1,000 a week is a target: current output is 'several hundred' a week.
- Supervised robots: the units are reported to work under supervision and to struggle with tasks outside their training.
- Complex product: Optimus has more than 10,000 unique parts, none of which were mass-produced before.
The 2018 lesson
In 2018, during Model 3 'production hell', Musk admitted that excessive automation had been a mistake. Optimus is a far bigger manufacturing challenge. Tesla appears to be ramping more gradually this time, with modular sub-assembly lines, but that is an outside interpretation rather than a company claim.
When can you buy one?
External sales are targeted for 2027. For now, Optimus robots are meant for Tesla's own factories.
What to watch
The October 21 earnings call is the next chance for Tesla to give official numbers on Optimus production, cost per unit and the long-awaited Version 3.
