Building on his announcement the previous day at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Elon Musk specified Tesla aims to sell Optimus humanoid robots to consumers by late 2026, subject to safety and reliability validation. With robots advancing in factories and leveraging Tesla's AI, this pivot underscores diversification as EV sales decline.
During a January 23, 2026, discussion at the WEF in Davos—following his January 22 panel with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink—Elon Musk updated timelines for Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot. 'By the end of next year I think we’d be selling humanoid robots to the public,' he said, targeting late 2026 pending rigorous safety, reliability, and functionality tests, though some analyses point to 2027.
Optimus units already handle basic factory tasks, with complex operations expected by year-end 2026. Musk highlighted synergies with Tesla's self-driving AI, foreseeing robots outnumbering humans and fueling economic abundance—a vision echoed in prior remarks. As Tesla grapples with two years of falling EV deliveries due to an aging lineup and lost U.S. tax incentives, robotics emerges as a growth pillar. He briefly noted unsupervised robotaxi tests in Austin.
Post-announcement, shares climbed over 3% to $437.16, signaling investor enthusiasm for diversification despite scaling hurdles like data needs and job concerns. This builds on earlier Optimus updates, including historical delays from 2024-2025 forecasts and ongoing autonomy skepticism.