CEO Elon Musk is pushing ahead with Tesla’s AI transformation at full speed. Tesla’s humanoid robot Optimus could work at human performance levels as early as 2026.
• Tesla is driving the transformation into an AI group with Optimus
• Market readiness according to Elon Musk at the earliest from the end of the year
• Opportunities and risks for investors
The electric car pioneer Tesla may be facing a strategic turning point. While the company has long been known primarily for its electric vehicles, CEO Elon Musk has been consistently pushing ahead with the transformation into an AI-driven technology and services group for several years. At the center of this vision: the humanoid robot “Optimus”.
According to Musk, Tesla’s Optimus robot could reach human performance levels as early as 2026 – a prospect that is making investors sit up and take notice.
Tesla: From car manufacturer to robotics company
Musk apparently attaches so much importance to the project that Tesla is reducing production of the Model S and X and is increasingly converting the factory in Fremont into a production center for Optimus.
On the fourth-quarter 2025 earnings conference call, Musk said his long-term goal is to produce one million Optimus bots annually in Fremont. At the same time, he tempered expectations and emphasized that the robot was still in the research and development phase. Still, Musk praised Optimus Gen 3’s advancement as human-like and capable of learning from humans to take on tasks. Series production could start “towards the end of this year”.
What can the Tesla robot already do?
Tesla has been developing Optimus for several years. The current version, Optimus Gen 3, demonstrates considerable progress in marketing videos: According to the company, the robot can perform fine motor tasks – such as tearing paper towels, opening cupboards or folding laundry. Additionally, Optimus displays advanced dexterity. In published videos, he catches thrown objects and moves on uneven terrain. The robot is currently only used in Tesla’s own factories, where it is supposed to observe and learn basic tasks.
If Tesla succeeds in rolling out physical AI on an industrial scale, it would be a technological milestone. To date, no company has successfully commercialized humanoid robotics worldwide.
Will Optimus be the turning point for Tesla shares?
Tesla is already one of the most valuable companies in the world. Regarding the stock, The Motley Fool argues that it is already “priced to perfection.” Optimists counter this: Since there is currently no benchmark for global physical AI, the potential of the robotics business can hardly be quantified seriously. According to experts, Optimus is an asymmetric bet: If the breakthrough succeeds, Tesla could reach new valuation dimensions. If the project fails or scaling is significantly delayed, there is a risk of a noticeable revaluation of the share price.
But even if decisive progress is made in 2026, it will probably take years or even decades before the robotics division contributes trillions to the company’s value. By investing in Tesla shares, investors may not be betting on short-term profits, but rather on a long-term AI vision with significant opportunities – and equally great risks.
Bettina Schneider / editorial team finanzen.net
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