Humanoid Robots
Tesla accelerates Optimus humanoid robot production at Fremont and Giga Texas
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In its Q4 2025 earnings call, Tesla announced plans to repurpose Model S and X assembly lines at Fremont for 1 million Optimus 3 units annually and ramp high-volume Optimus V4 production at Giga Texas. CEO Elon Musk highlighted the robot's learning capabilities via observation and video, upcoming Gen 3 unveiling, and challenges like scaling amid Chinese competition, backed by $20 billion in 2026 capex.
Elon Musk has rejected a fan theory suggesting Tesla is secretly ahead on its Optimus humanoid robot. He stated that initial production will be extremely slow. The comments came in response to speculation on social media.
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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.
Tesla showcased its Optimus humanoid robot in New York City's Times Square on October 27, 2025, where it distributed Halloween candy to passersby. The demonstration highlighted the robot's emerging public interactions amid ongoing questions about its autonomy. Meanwhile, Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood praised humanoid robots as the biggest opportunity in embodied AI.