Elon Musk reiterated his expansive vision for Tesla Inc.‘s (NASDAQ:TSLA) Optimus humanoid robot, replying, “Optimus will be epic” when asked what single job a physical-AI robot should perform.
Musk Envisions Optimus Beyond Factory Work
The reply, which Musk posted on X late on Sunday, reinforced his view that Optimus should handle more than one task. He has described a future in which the humanoid could cook, mow lawns, babysit, care for older adults and perform skilled work, extending Tesla’s AI push beyond cars and robotaxis.
Tesla Builds Capacity Around Ambitious Robot Bet
Tesla has begun converting the former Model S and Model X production area in Fremont, California, into an Optimus factory, targeting 1 million robots annually. Musk recently cautioned that production would begin "agonizingly slow", highlighting the difficulty of manufacturing humanoids at scale.
The company is spending heavily on that bet. Tesla said 2026 capital expenditures would exceed $25 billion as it expands AI computing, robotaxis and Optimus production. Chief Financial Officer Vaibhav Taneja said spending would keep rising for another two to three years, while second-quarter profit fell partly because research costs increased.
Wall Street Weighs Promise Against Execution
Musk has argued that Optimus could eventually account for about 80% of Tesla’s value and become more important than its vehicle business. Tesla also tied part of Musk’s 2025 pay package to deploying 1 million robots and lifting the company’s valuation toward $8.5 trillion.
Wall Street remains divided. JPMorgan projects Tesla revenue could rise from roughly $95 billion in 2025 to about $203 billion by 2030, with Optimus and robotaxi services supplying nearly half the growth. Morningstar analyst Seth Goldstein told Reuters towards the end of April that Tesla’s spending makes sense only for investors who believe Musk can turn Optimus into its most valuable platform.
Benzinga Edge Rankings show Tesla stock scores poorly on the Momentum and Value metrics, but provides satisfactory Growth and Quality.
Price Action: Tesla shares were up 1.10% to $314.62 during pre-market trading on Monday.
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