- Tesla announced on China's Weibo that its third-generation humanoid robot is set to debut soon, which will be the company's first mass-produced humanoid robot.
- Tesla anticipates an annual production capacity of 1 million units for this humanoid robot.
Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) is set to unveil its third-generation humanoid robot soon, marking the company's first mass-produced model of its kind.
The American electric vehicle (EV) maker announced the plan Monday on Weibo — China's equivalent of X — signaling intensified marketing efforts targeting the Chinese market.
Tesla has redesigned its third-generation humanoid robot from first principles, enabling it to learn new skills by observing human behavior, it said.
The company anticipates annual production of 1 million units of the humanoid robot.
Tesla mentioned during its January 28 earnings call that it would launch Optimus V3 in the first quarter.
CEO Elon Musk said at the time that Tesla would cease production of the Model S sedan and Model X SUV (sport utility vehicle) to make space for Optimus robot manufacturing.
Earlier in January, Musk indicated at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that the Optimus robot could potentially be available for public purchase in 2027.
Tesla currently employs some robots in its factories for simple tasks. Musk anticipates that by the end of 2026, Optimus will be capable of performing more complex operations.
Announcing plans for humanoid robots on a Chinese social media platform suggests Tesla may hope its robots will be as well-received in China as its EVs.
China already has numerous players in this field, and Musk believes they will be Tesla's biggest competition.
China is good at both AI and manufacturing, and will undoubtedly become Tesla's toughest competitor, Musk said during the January 28 earnings call.
