Elon Musk predicts slow start for Cybercab robotaxi and Optimus robot production
Tesla has announced that its humanoid robot will soon handle mundane tasks
Elon Musk is bracing for another round of production hell.
The Tesla CEO commented that increasing production for the company's Cybercab robotaxi and Optimus robot, both scheduled for production this year, would progress "painfully slow."
"The speed of the production ramp is inversely proportionate to how many new parts and steps there are," wrote Musk in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
"For Cybercab and Optimus, almost everything is new, so the early production rate will be agonisingly slow, but eventually end up being insanely fast," he added.
Tesla is expected to start production of the Cybercab, an elegant two-seater robotaxi which Musk mentioned will be available without a steering wheel or pedals, in April.
The tech billionaire aims for an eventual production target of two million units annually.
According to Musk in 2024, the Cybercab, which will be priced at around $25,000, is set to enter large-scale production as Tesla works to broaden its robotaxi service after a stumbling start.
The company launched its self-driving ride service in Austin last June, yet only has a limited number of Model Y robotaxis operational in the city and hasn't removed human safety drivers from the vehicles.
In the meantime, Optimus, its humanoid robot designed to assist with everyday roles, is slated to begin production by the end of 2026, with Musk indicating Tesla might eventually produce a million units annually.
The Tesla CEO informed investors in October that achieving this target would take time because the company needs to create nearly the entire supply chain from scratch, producing at the pace of the "slowest, simplest, and least fortunate component out of 10,000 unique parts."
Musk's comments reflect Tesla's communications to its workers. This isn’t the first instance where Tesla has encountered a tough path while scaling an ambitious new creation.
