“The future should embody the essence of the future,” stated CEO Elon Musk during the Tesla ‘We Robot’ event hosted in Burbank, California earlier this week. True to his words, Tesla introduced its eagerly awaited autonomous vehicle services, the Cybercab and its larger sibling, the Cybervan, which resembled elements from iconic science fiction films.
However, in line with the event’s theme, an envisioned future wouldn’t be complete without robots; Tesla showcased Optimus Gen 2, its newest humanoid robot version, which entertained guests by serving drinks, engaging in conversations, and even dancing at the gathering.
Recently, Tesla has suggested that the Optimus could serve as a substitute for factory workers in China and possibly other regions. Musk previously mentioned his expectations that Optimus would begin working in Tesla factories by 2025 and be accessible to other companies in 2026.
During the event, Musk further elaborated on his vision for a multifunctional household robot capable of performing a variety of tasks: from babysitting to dog walking, lawn mowing, grocery shopping, being a companion, and serving drinks.
He also provided a more specific estimate for the robot’s price tag: when produced ‘at scale,’ Optimus will likely cost between $20,000 and $30,000. Musk had earlier mentioned that it would be roughly half the price of an automobile.
Staying true to his futuristic aims, Musk likened Optimus to a blend of R2D2 and C-3PO, the beloved characters from the Star Wars series.
Since the introduction of the initial generation of Optimus in 2022, Tesla has underscored the synergies between its vehicles and the robot concept. “Everything that we’ve developed for our cars—the electronic systems, the advanced motors, the gearboxes, the software, the AI inference computer—all apply to a humanoid robot,” Musk elaborated at the event. “It’s essentially a robot with arms and legs instead of wheels.”
Tesla is not the first manufacturer to enter the domestic robot market; Hyundai-owned Boston Dynamics has already launched a home service robot called Spot, priced at $74,500. Other companies like BMW and OpenAI are collaborating with Figure, a California-based firm that is developing humanoid robots. Additionally, Nvidia is working on Project GR00T to advance humanoid robotics.
Goldman Sachs has projected that by 2035, the annual worldwide market for humanoid robots could reach $38 billion, with shipments totaling around 1.4 million units for both industrial and consumer use. The firm noted that as manufacturing costs continue to decline, robots may become more affordable, accelerating their market presence.
