{"id":59960,"title":"Tesla Optimus production faces assembly challenges","publisher":"Stockmark.IT","author":"Stockmark.IT Website","published":"2026-09-26T09:54:17+00:00","modified":"2026-09-26T04:58:19+00:00","canonical_url":"https://stockmark.it/teslas-optimus-robot-is-going-through-growing-pains/","markdown_url":"https://stockmark.it/teslas-optimus-robot-is-going-through-growing-pains.md","json_url":"https://stockmark.it/teslas-optimus-robot-is-going-through-growing-pains.json","category":"China","categories":["China","Electric Vehicles","Manufacturing"],"featured_image":"https://i0.wp.com/stockmark.it/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/tesla-optimus-production-faces-assembly-challenges.png?fit=1536%2C1024&quality=80&ssl=1","format":"news","language":"en-GB","content":"Tesla is reportedly struggling to meet its ambitious manufacturing targets for the Optimus humanoid robot. According to reports from The Information, the company produced only several hundred units last month, a significant shortfall compared to its goal of 20,000 robots per week. This discrepancy emerged after Tesla repurposed its Model S and Model X production lines for Optimus manufacturing earlier this year. The transition has introduced significant logistical difficulties, primarily because the robot components are considerably smaller than automotive parts and require much greater precision during assembly.\n\nThe manufacturing process remains heavily reliant on manual labour for critical components. Even in the current version three models, the hands and forearms contain more than 100 screws and small parts that must be assembled by human workers. These latest iterations are lighter and feature more cameras than previous designs, but they lack a sensing glove currently in development. This future addition is intended to improve durability by allowing touch sensors to be replaced without swapping the entire hand unit.\n\nDespite years of delays and bold promises from chief executive Elon Musk, who has described Optimus as Tesla’s biggest product of all time, the robots remain in limited internal use. They are not yet deployed generally or operated via remote teleoperation. Tesla reportedly plans to lease the units initially rather than sell them, using the resulting training data to refine the technology. Meanwhile, the broader industry is seeing a shift towards less lifelike robotic designs, and Chinese regulators have reportedly begun restricting initial public offerings for humanoid robotics firms."}