Elon Musk teases new driving capability for Tesla Optimus
Elon Musk has revealed that Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot could use the company's Full Self-Driving dataset to operate vehicles from other manufacturers. This capability would position Optimus as a versatile chauffeur for any car. The announcement highlights ongoing advancements in the robot's potential applications.
Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot has generated significant excitement, with CEO Elon Musk predicting it could account for about 80 percent of the company's value in the coming years. Designed to eliminate trivial and monotonous tasks from human life, Optimus is being refined through meticulous development efforts.
Over the weekend of October 5, 2025, Musk teased a previously unknown capability on X (formerly Twitter): the robot's ability to utilize Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) dataset to drive cars not made by Tesla. In response to a query, Musk stated, "Probably." This would translate FSD operations from Tesla vehicles—viewed from a driverless perspective—directly to Optimus, enabling the robot to function in essentially any vehicle ever produced. As a result, Optimus could serve as a personal chauffeur and assistant across various car brands.
The hype around Optimus continues to build internally at Tesla, fueled by comments from Musk and other executives. On October 4, 2025, Teslarati shared a video demonstrating the robot learning Kung Fu under a teacher's guidance, confirming it was entirely AI-driven and not staged or teleoperated. Musk emphasized this authenticity in related discussions.
Tesla plans to launch the Gen 3 version of Optimus in the coming months. While a video from Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff last month showcased a new-look robot, it was not the Gen 3 iteration. The true design of Gen 3 remains a mystery to the public, but improvements from prior versions suggest substantial enhancements ahead.