Update, 22 October 2026: on its quarterly earnings call Tesla said early Optimus production has begun on a line at its Fremont factory, using the third-generation design. It expects first deliveries to outside companies around the end of 2027, starting with industrial customers.
Few robots attract as much attention as Optimus, also known as the Tesla Bot. Musk has called it potentially Tesla's biggest product ever. But Tesla's own timelines have slipped several times, and there is a wide gap between what has been promised and what has been shown.
This guide sets out the facts with dates, separating official Tesla statements, Musk's forecasts and third-party reports. We have not seen Optimus in person; everything below comes from Tesla's statements and dated reporting. For robots you can buy now, see our humanoid robot buying guide.
| Promise | When made | Status in Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| About 10,000 robots built in 2025 | January 2025 | Missed (per independent scorecards) |
| Optimus Gen 3 unveiled in Q1 2026 | January 2026 shareholder letter | Moved to mid-2026, then no date; not unveiled by mid-September 2026 |
| Fremont production from late July or August 2026 | April 2026 earnings call | July update said lines being installed, production later in 2026 |
| Public sales by end of 2027 | Davos, January 2026 | Pending, conditional on reliability and safety |
| Price of $20,000 to $30,000 | Repeated since 2024 | No official price or pre-order |
Can you buy Tesla Optimus?
No. There is no pre-order, waitlist or price on Tesla's website. Tesla describes Optimus as a project to "create a general purpose, bi-pedal, autonomous humanoid robot capable of performing unsafe, repetitive or boring tasks". At the World Economic Forum in Davos on 22 January 2026, Musk said public sales could begin by the end of 2027 if the robot reaches high reliability, safety and functionality. On 12 October 2026, Teslarati reported that Musk still wants public availability by late 2027, but Tesla has not confirmed that date.
Be wary of websites or social media ads offering Optimus for sale or taking deposits. They are not Tesla.
Tesla Optimus price
Tesla has not announced a price. Musk has repeatedly targeted $20,000 to $30,000 per robot once production is at scale, including at Tesla's October 2024 "We, Robot" event. Treat this as a long-term goal: early units are going to Tesla's own operations, and no outside customer price exists.
Tesla Optimus timeline
- August 2021: Tesla Bot announced at Tesla's AI Day.
- December 2023: Tesla releases video of Optimus Gen 2.
- October 2024: Optimus robots appear at Tesla's "We, Robot" event; Musk cites a $20,000 to $30,000 target price.
- June 2025: programme head Milan Kovac leaves Tesla; Autopilot lead Ashok Elluswamy takes over (Reuters, via Wikipedia).
- December 2025: Optimus v2.3 makes public appearances in London (13 December) and Berlin (20 December).
- January 2026: Musk says Optimus is not yet used in Tesla factories in a material way. Tesla's shareholder letter promises a Gen 3 unveiling in Q1 2026 and production before the end of 2026.
- 22 April 2026: Tesla says first-generation Optimus production lines are being installed at Fremont, aimed at eventual capacity of up to 1 million robots a year, with a larger Texas line planned for 2027. Musk moves the Gen 3 reveal to around mid-2026.
- 22 July 2026: Tesla's Q2 update says Fremont lines are still being installed, with production expected later in 2026, mainly for internal training use. No customer shipments promised.
- Mid-September 2026: independent scorecards record no public Gen 3 unveiling.
- October 2026: Musk says the production ramp will be "very slow at the beginning", cites China's magnet export curbs as a two-to-three-month setback, and calls robot hands "shockingly difficult" (Teslarati, 12 October 2026).
What can Tesla Optimus do?
Tesla's public demonstrations have shown Optimus walking, sorting objects, handling simple factory items and interacting with crowds. What it can do reliably and autonomously, without a human steering it, is harder to judge from outside, because Tesla has not published independent performance data. Musk's own statements suggest real factory work at scale is still ahead: in January 2026 he said the robots were not yet used in Tesla factories in a material way.
Musk has said a future AI5 chip would let Optimus work without Wi-Fi or mobile data for most tasks, though conversation would still need a connection (April 2026 earnings call).
Optimus Gen 3 (V3): specs and what we know
Tesla has not published an official Gen 3 spec sheet. Reported details include:
- Hands: a tendon-driven design with the motors moved into the forearm, reported to raise hand flexibility from 11 to 22 degrees of freedom (joints that can move independently).
- Size: earlier versions were reported at about 173 cm tall and about 57 kg.
- Brain: Tesla-designed AI chips and software adapted from its car autonomy work.
Figures such as battery life or total joint count that circulate online have not been confirmed by Tesla, so we do not list them.
Can Tesla Optimus clean a house?
Not today, and not for sale. Musk has described Optimus doing household jobs in the future, from chores to babysitting, but Tesla's stated priority is factory work first. If you want a robot that helps at home now, single-task robots such as robot vacuums and robot mowers are the practical choice. The only home humanoid open to order is 1X NEO, a US pre-order; see humanoid robots for the home.
Tesla Optimus vs rivals you can actually get
- Unitree G1 (from $13,500): shipping research humanoid, 132 cm, about 2 hours of battery.
- Unitree R1 (from $4,900): smallest and cheapest walking humanoid, shipping since mid-2026.
- 1X NEO ($20,000 or $499 a month): home humanoid on US pre-order.
- Figure 03 and Boston Dynamics Atlas: working with industrial partners, not on sale to the public.
Full details in our humanoid robot hub.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Tesla Optimus cost?
There is no official price. Musk's long-term target is $20,000 to $30,000 per robot once it is made at scale.
Can you purchase a Tesla Optimus?
No. As of October 2026 there is no pre-order or waitlist. Musk has suggested public sales could begin by the end of 2027 if reliability and safety targets are met.
What can Tesla Optimus do?
In public demos it walks, handles and sorts objects and interacts with people. Tesla has not published independent data on how reliably it works without human control, and Musk said in January 2026 it was not yet used in Tesla factories in a material way.
When will Optimus Gen 3 be released?
Tesla first said Q1 2026, then mid-2026. As of mid-September 2026 it had not been publicly unveiled. Production at Fremont was expected to begin later in 2026, mainly for Tesla's own use.
Can Optimus do laundry?
Musk has described household tasks as a future goal, but there is no product you can buy that does laundry today. Tesla's near-term focus is factory work.
Is Tesla Optimus available in the UK?
No. Optimus is not sold anywhere. It has made public appearances in the UK, including in London in December 2025.
How many Optimus robots has Tesla built?
Tesla has not published a total. Media reports cite internal goals of over 1,000 robots a week by the end of 2026, but Tesla has not confirmed production figures.
Related guides
Sources
- Tesla: AI and Robotics (Optimus)
- Wikipedia: Optimus (robot), dated entries to April 2026
- Teslarati: Why Musk's target date for buying Optimus is harder than it sounds (12 October 2026)
- Humanoid Versus: Optimus V3 timing claims tracker (to 22 July 2026)
- The Robotic Life: Optimus Gen 3 promised vs delivered (updated 24 September 2026)
- Business Insider: Everything we know about Optimus (24 July 2026)
- TechRepublic: Optimus robots targeted for 2027 launch
- Not a Tesla App: Tesla officially begins Optimus production (Oct 2026)