Image source, Getty Images
- Author, John da Silva
- Role, Economic journalist
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said the electric vehicle maker will begin producing and using humanoid robots starting next year.
In a social media post, Mr Musk said the robots will first be used by Tesla, which will begin manufacturing them for sale in 2026.
The tech billionaire had previously said he expected the robot, called Optimus, to be ready for use in Tesla factories by the end of this year.
Other companies, including Honda and Boston Dynamics, have also developed their own humanoid robots.
“Tesla will have truly useful humanoid robots in low production for Tesla internal use next year and hopefully in high production for other companies in 2026,” Musk said on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
This happened just one day before Tesla released its latest financial results.
The company’s shares ended Monday’s trading session on Wall Street up more than 5%.
He had previously said Tesla wanted the robots to be mass-produced and cost less than $20,000 (£17,900) each.
Mr. Musk is known for setting ambitious deadlines for his companies, which he has not always met.
In 2019, he said he felt “very confident” that Tesla would have self-driving taxis on the road by next year.
Earlier this year, Mr Musk said the long-awaited robotaxi would be unveiled on August 8.
Last week he appeared to confirm a report that the event would be delayed.
Mr Musk did not give a new date but said he had requested a change to the front of the vehicle.
“The extra time allows us to highlight a few other things,” he wrote.
The announcement comes after Bloomberg News reported that the event had been postponed until October.
Mr. Musk’s companies are increasingly focusing on technologies such as artificial intelligence, autonomous driving and robots, at a time when demand for electric vehicles is slowing.