The third-generation Tesla Optimus robot is now in operation, as announced on the developers’ official page. The establishment on Santa Monica Boulevard opened in the summer of 2025 and quickly garnered attention for its unique concept: a retro-futuristic car cafe with a charging station and a humanoid robot dispensing popcorn. The second-generation version, unofficially dubbed Poptimus, became a highlight of the venue. However, by December 2025, the robot disappeared as part of preparations for a more significant upgrade.
Elon Musk confirmed earlier that Optimus would return in 2026 in a new capacity. Instead of its previous demonstration functions, it will now serve as a courier, delivering orders directly to vehicles at Supercharger stations. The key update is the transition to the third generation. The new Optimus features greatly enhanced hand mechanics – around 50 actuators and 22 degrees of freedom on each hand, along with a powerful computing platform equipped with Tesla AI5 chip and voice control based on Grok. Musk has already hailed it as the most advanced robot in the world.
Concurrently, the company is restructuring its production; the Fremont lines are set to be reconfigured for Optimus production, underscoring Tesla’s shift in priorities towards robotics.
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