Late 2027 delivery target for Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot

Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot is now expected to be delivered to external customers in late 2027, as Elon Musk confirmed during the Q3 2026 earnings call. The robot’s hands, durability, and AI still require significant improvements before that target can be met.

Tesla has begun early production of Optimus on its high-volume line in Fremont, which was previously used for Model S and Model X. However, the production line is still being finalized, with many design elements still under development.

The biggest challenges are the AI, the electromechanical design, and the robot’s reliability, including its ability to withstand constant use without wearing out. Musk expects these issues to be resolved by the end of 2027, when Tesla will start delivering Optimus for industrial applications.

A Tesla engineer pointed to the hand as one of the most difficult hardware areas, along with custom gears that still have reliability concerns. Musk agrees, saying the hand is the main issue, as it needs to be soft enough to handle delicate objects while surviving constant wear.

On the AI side, Tesla is working through problems with the architecture. Since it doesn’t have a fleet of robots collecting data like its cars do for FSD, it plans to build 10,000 to 20,000 robots and have them practice tasks in what it calls an Optimus Academy.

Musk also promised a video within a month or two that will show the robot doing tasks that aren’t pre-programmed. He argued that many humanoid demos look impressive but only run scripted routines that wouldn’t hold up in the real world.

The company has faced delays before, as the timeline for Optimus has moved back over the years. In 2024, Musk said Tesla would build Optimus for internal use in 2025 and hoped to deliver to other companies in 2026.

In January 2025, Musk said Tesla would build about 10,000 robots that year, with “several thousand” doing useful work by year-end. He later admitted none were. Now, external deliveries are a late-2027 target.

XPeng and Boston Dynamics, among others, have made significant progress in their humanoid robot development. XPeng has already deployed its IRON robots in Guangzhou, with plans for mass production by the end of 2026.

Boston Dynamics started producing its electric Atlas in January and has committed customers for its 2026 deployments. It also opened a robot training center in Georgia, where Atlas is learning to sequence car parts for the assembly line.

Boston Dynamics has taken a more pragmatic approach to hands, prioritizing sturdy grippers for industrial parts over human-like dexterity.

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