Tesla Plans December Launch for Optimus Reservations Despite Musk's Denial

Tesla is expected to open customer reservations for its Optimus humanoid robot in early December, according to Modar Alaoui, a robotics investor at ALM Ventures. This would mark the first time consumers can join a waiting list for the device. The company has not confirmed the timeline, and CEO Elon Musk posted the word "No" on X on Friday afternoon in apparent response to the plans.

Alaoui stated that Tesla told him reservations would launch in connection with his event, The Humanoids Summit, scheduled for December 1 and 2 in San Mateo. Tesla is a key partner for the conference and plans to demo the Optimus V3 model and its self-driving cars there. The investor noted that while most units will go to businesses, a limited number are reserved for individual buyers. It remains unclear if a deposit will be required to secure a spot on the list.

The company has restructured its production capabilities to support the new product. In January, Musk announced that Tesla would end production of the Model X and Model S vehicles. The factory space in Fremont, California, previously used for those cars, is now being converted to manufacture Optimus robots. Musk confirmed on the company's October earnings call that production has begun at that facility. He projected the line will reach a capacity of 20,000 robots per week by the end of 2027.

The first shipments are expected to include the Optimus V3. Previous versions were primarily prototypes. Consumers who reserve a unit likely will not receive it for another year. The expected price is over $20,000. Musk indicated on the earnings call that the robot still faces issues with artificial intelligence, electromechanical design, and runtime. He estimated these problems would be resolved by the end of next year, which is when he expects to deliver Optimus to external companies.

Tesla is not the only company pursuing this market. Rivals are competing to ship humanoid robots to U.S. customers. Palo Alto-based 1X opened reservations for its $20,000 robot last year but has not delivered units. Germany's Neura Robotics and the U.K.-based Humanoid have also placed individuals on waitlists without making deliveries. Chinese manufacturers have begun delivering bots to domestic customers, though these units have limited task capabilities. Boston Dynamics and Figure have not yet created public waitlists.

The Optimus was first introduced in 2021 at Tesla's AI Day event. The company describes the human-shaped design as enabling the robot to perform household tasks such as cooking, walking dogs, and supervising children. Musk has stated that Tesla must produce between 10,000 and 20,000 robots to gather the data needed to train them for at-home chores. He noted that domestic environments are difficult for robots to navigate due to varying layouts and the presence of humans and animals.