Boston Dynamics
Hyundai hires Tesla's former Optimus head for Boston Dynamics
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Hyundai Motor Group has appointed Milan Kovac, the former head of Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot program, as a group adviser and outside director for its robotics subsidiary Boston Dynamics. The move comes amid Hyundai's push into advanced robotics following the unveiling of its next-generation Atlas robot at CES 2026. Kovac's departure from Tesla in June 2025 had already disrupted the company's humanoid robot efforts.
Kia America Inc., part of Hyundai Motor Group, will introduce Boston Dynamics' Atlas humanoid robots at its Georgia manufacturing facility starting in 2029. This follows the CES 2026 unveiling and Hyundai's planned 2028 rollout at the nearby Metaplant in Savannah. Kia aims to expand the robots—rivals to Tesla's Optimus—to other global factories, starting with simple manufacturing tasks. Separately, Kia is developing software-defined vehicles with Level 2 autonomy by around 2027.
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Following the CES 2026 unveiling of its production-ready Atlas humanoid robot, Boston Dynamics has begun commercial manufacturing at its Boston facility, with tens of thousands of units committed for Hyundai sites this year—beating Tesla's Optimus to market. A Google DeepMind partnership integrates advanced AI, amid Hyundai's major robotics investments.