Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Tuesday the early production rate of the company’s Cybercab robotaxi and its humanoid robot Optimus will be “agonisingly slow” before accelerating over time. Much of Tesla’s $1.39-trillion (R22.78-trillion) valuation hinges on investor expectations for its self-driving technology and humanoid robots, even as the company’s core revenue and profit continue to come from electric vehicle sales. Responding to a post on X about Cybercab production beginning in less than 100 days, Musk said the pace of the ramp depends on complexity, noting that production speed is inversely proportional to the number of new parts and manufacturing steps involved.
“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 wrote. A Cybercab is a two-seater vehicle designed without manual controls, including a steering wheel or pedals. The EV maker has said it was on track to start volume production of Cybercab in 2026, with Optimus output “hopefully” starting towards the end of the year.
In December Musk said Tesla was testing robotaxis without safety monitors in the front passenger seat. Last yearTesla launched a limited robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, using its Model Y SUVs equipped with a version of its Full Self-Driving software. Early operations were geo-fenced and included a human safety monitor in the passenger seat.
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Musk has described the humanoid robot project as central to Tesla’s long-term strategy, saying it could eventually dwarf its vehicle business. He has argued the robots could unlock massive new economic value by taking on a wide range of tasks that humans are unwilling to perform.
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