Tesla has temporarily halted the mass production of its humanoid robots, Optimus, due to issues with the design of their hands. This information was reported by The Information. Engineers have been struggling to achieve the required flexibility and similarity to human hands, prompting the company to adjust its plans. Tesla’s warehouses already have dozens of Optimus bodies without hands and forearms, and it remains unclear when these robots will be completed. Elon Musk acknowledged the problem but did not provide a specific timeline for the launch.
The initial challenges were identified in the summer of 2024, following which the company significantly reduced its initial production goals. Originally, Tesla aimed to release at least 5000 robots by the end of 2025, but engineers stated that this goal was unattainable. After facing internal resistance, the plan was scaled down to 2000 units. Musk emphasizes that creating hands with human dexterity is the most complex part of the development process.
Recently, he shared a video showing Optimus learning kung fu, and Tesla’s official account demonstrated the robot mimicking movements with actor Jared Leto at the premiere of the movie Tron: Ares. Optimus was introduced in August 2021 as a versatile bipedal robot capable of performing tasks that are dangerous or tedious for humans. Despite this, some former project participants doubt its suitability for use in warehouses or manufacturing. Nonetheless, Elon Musk believes Optimus is a key project for Tesla’s future.
It is worth mentioning that Tesla unveiled its second-generation humanoid robot, Optimus Gen 2, which is intended to handle tasks typically performed by humans. As reported, in 2026, Tesla hopes to launch Optimus robots into large-scale production for other companies.
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