Key Points
- Tesla will start Cybercab robotaxi and Optimus robot production at a slow pace due to complexity before accelerating later.
- The Cybercab is slated for volume production in 2026, with Optimus output expected toward the end of the year.
- Musk says the slow early ramp reflects the many new parts and manufacturing steps required, even as long-term scaling remains a priority.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company will start manufacturing its long-anticipated Cybercab robotaxi and Optimus humanoid robot at an “agonizingly slow” pace before production speeds pick up later. Musk attributed the slow initial output to the complexity of both new products, each involving numerous novel parts, manufacturing methods and assembly steps that require careful development and validation.
The Cybercab — a fully autonomous, two-seat taxi without traditional driver controls — is expected to begin volume production in 2026, though Musk noted that early units will come off the line gradually before accelerating as Tesla refines processes and components.
Similarly, the Optimus humanoid robot project — central to Tesla’s longer-term strategy — will follow a slow ramp-up, with output initially limited before gaining pace later in the year once production hurdles are addressed. Musk has described Optimus as a major future business initiative that could eventually rival or surpass Tesla’s vehicle business in scale and economic importance.
Musk made the comments in response to social media discussion about the timeline for production, underscoring that production speed is inversely proportional to the number of new parts and manufacturing steps involved. He reiterated that when everything is new — as with Cybercab and Optimus — early output will be slow before eventual “insanely fast” scaling once automated processes are optimised.
The slow start reflects growing recognition that Tesla’s most ambitious projects — from fully self-driving vehicles to humanoid robots — come with heavy engineering and system-integration challenges. Analysts say cautious pacing early in manufacturing rollout can help reduce quality issues and long-term costs, even if it disappoints investors hoping for rapid early deliveries.
Investors have closely watched Tesla’s progress on autonomous driving and robotics as the company’s market valuation and future growth expectations are tied as much to its next-generation technologies as to its core electric vehicle sales. Earlier in 2025, Tesla began limited robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, using modified Model Y vehicles with Full Self-Driving software and a human safety monitor, but that service represents a vastly smaller technological leap than Cybercab or Optimus production.
Musk’s remarks signal that while Tesla remains committed to pushing boundaries in autonomous transport and robotics, commercial-scale manufacturing of these complex products will take time. The early slow pace may temper expectations for immediate widespread availability, but the company’s longer-term ambition remains firmly in place.
