Tesla's Optimus hits reliability and supplier snags as it tries to scale output

Tesla's Optimus production push collides with hand-assembly and supply limits

Tesla Inc.'s plan to sharply increase production of its Optimus humanoid robots has run into manufacturing bottlenecks tied to the machines' "intricate" hands, automated-equipment glitches, and supplier constraints, the Information reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Despite those obstacles, the company produced far more Optimus units in August than during the second quarter, when it was still conducting small-batch production tests.

From a few hundred a week toward a four-figure weekly target

Managers have asked employees to lift output from several hundred robots per week to more than one thousand per week by the end of the year using a continuous automated production line. The vast majority of robots currently off the line are designated for internal use, including training, testing, and data collection, rather than for outside customers. Tesla has said it intends to gradually expand Optimus's operating areas as performance becomes more reliable.

Reliability and dexterity gaps force a rethink on rollout

Separately, an analysis published the same day said Optimus output had jumped roughly tenfold, yet persistent hand-assembly problems and software gaps have pushed Tesla toward a lease-first strategy for the units. The combination of dexterity issues and reliability shortfalls has made direct sales harder to justify at the current build quality, according to that report.

What remains uncertain

It is unclear when Tesla will resolve the hand and supplier constraints, how quickly the automated line can sustain four-figure weekly output, or whether the reported lease-first approach will be formalized in customer-facing terms. Tesla has not publicly detailed a specific date for moving Optimus beyond internal use.