Tesla Officially Announces. Third-Generation Humanoid Robot to Debut Mid-Year, Mass Production to Start in Third Quarter

TradingKey - On April 23, Tesla ( TSLA) announced via its official Weibo account that its third-generation humanoid robot, Optimus V3, is expected to make its official debut mid-year, with large-scale production slated to begin between July and August 2026. Product testing is currently progressing in an orderly manner, and according to the plan, application testing in external scenarios will commence in 2027. Tesla emphasized that this humanoid robot is expected to become the highest-volume product in the company's history.

In fact, the debut timeline announced for the third-generation humanoid robot has been adjusted compared to previous plans. During the Q4 2025 and full-year earnings call, Tesla stated that Optimus V3 was expected to be officially released in the first quarter of 2026. In early February of this year, Tesla's official Weibo account also posted that the third-generation humanoid robot would soon meet the public.

According to information previously disclosed by Tesla, Optimus V3 will undergo a comprehensive upgrade based on the version 2.5 prototype. The most notable improvement is the newly designed hand structure, which further enhances operational flexibility and precision. Redesigned from first principles, this robot features 37 joints—nine more than the previous generation. Equipped with a harmonic and planetary drive system, it can reach walking speeds of up to 1.2 meters per second, walk stably on 15-degree slopes, and quickly recover its balance. Its 22-degree-of-freedom dexterous hands have sub-millimeter operational precision, enabling tasks such as fine grasping, carrying, and assembly, making it suitable for both industrial and domestic environments.

In its Q1 2026 earnings report, Tesla stated that to ensure large-scale production capacity, it has converted the Model S/X production lines at the Fremont factory for humanoid robot manufacturing. Mass production is expected to start by the end of 2026, with a final planned annual capacity of 1 million units.

At the same time, Tesla is preparing a second-generation production line at Gigafactory Texas, with a long-term designed annual capacity of up to 10 million units. Tesla founder Elon Musk stated that the new Optimus robot factory in Texas is expected to officially begin production in 2027.

To date, Tesla has launched the first-generation (Gen1) and second-generation (Gen2) versions of Optimus in the humanoid robotics field. Gen1 was officially introduced in October 2022, featuring basic walking and object-carrying capabilities. Gen2, released in 2023, boasts a walking speed 30% faster than the first generation and is equipped with dexterous hands featuring 22 degrees of freedom.

Musk stated that 2026 will be a year of significant potential for Tesla, as the company ramps up investments in core areas such as battery technology, powertrain systems, AI software, AI training platforms, and chip design and manufacturing. Humanoid robots are a vital component of Musk’s vision for a technological empire. Musk has publicly stated that the launch of the third-generation humanoid robot will propel Tesla's transformation into a robotics company with a $25 trillion valuation, with its future value contribution far exceeding that of the current automotive business.