Optimus, Tesla’s robot, will be sold at the end of 2025: what can it do and how much will it cost?

In 2022, the automobile company Tesla I present Optimus, a robot measuring 1.73 meters and 57 kg. At that time the automaton was nothing more than a prototype and there were few activities it could perform. Now, Elon Musk, leader behind the project, just announced that the new generation of the robot, Optimus Gen 2, will be ready to sell at the end of 2025.

According to the technology entrepreneur, the new and improved model shows greater mobility in both the neck and hands, in addition, it introduces improvements such as sensors in the fingers, to handle more delicate objects with different levels of pressure.

This second generation is also capable of walking 30% faster than the previous model and has better balance. This thanks to the fact that the weight has been reduced in 10 kg without having to sacrifice other functions.

And while, for now, Optimus can perform “simple factory tasks,” Musk assures that new abilities are being tested in the laboratory, and that, according to the company’s forecasts, the humanoid robot will be able to perform “useful tasks” before end of this year.

If everything goes according to plan, The company plans to launch the robot on the market by the end of 2025.

However, Musk himself has stressed that the launch of the project for now “is just guesswork,” even though the sale of robots could become one of the most important parts of Tesla’s business.

“Optimus It will be more valuable than everything else combined,” stated the owner of the social network X (formerly Twitter), in Tesla’s latest earnings call. This is because, as he has said, a “sentient” humanoid robot capable of moving through reality and performing tasks requested by users does not have “a significant limit to the size of the economy.”

Likewise, Musk has also assured that Tesla is better positioned than the rest of the technology companies dedicated to the manufacture of humanoid robots in relation to “achieving volume production with efficient inference on the robot itself.”

What are the characteristics of Optimus?

Tesla’s robot has a human shape. Its system integrates cameras to monitor its surroundings. In addition, it is equipped with a “brain” similar in processing and functions to Tesla’s autonomous cars. In fact, Musk has qualified the power of the artificial intelligence of the automotive company, capable of drawing conclusions from new data. “It’s much better than any other company,” he said.

Optimus also has a 2.3 kWh battery and has a total of 40 electromechanical joints –twelve in the legs, twelve in the arms, twelve in the hands and two in the neck and trunk– to obtain greater mobility.

For now, The automaton can lift loads of up to five kilograms with a single arm, transport 25 kilos from one place to another and, in dead weight, it can lift up to 75 kilos.

How much will Optimus cost?

In March of last year, the CEO of Tesla indicated that the robot could cost half of a Tesla car, that isabout 25 thousand dollars.

In addition, Musk indicated on that occasion that he expected demand to reach between 10 billion and 20 billion units sold, which would become, in the long term, the company’s greatest asset.

What rivals does Optimus compete with?

The Tesla project is advancing, however, it is not the only brand in the robot race, it competes with high-profile rivals such as Apple, Amazon or Boston Dynamics.

A short time ago the intentions of the apple company for developing domestic robots, this after ending its intention to enter the electric car market.

Apple ecosystem analyst Mark Gurman talks about two robots: a screen with movement to place on the desktop and a more advanced, mobile robot that can follow you around the house. Of course, both focused on domestic tasks.

For its part, Amazon, the Internet sales giant, has also been researching and developing robots for some time. Their models are focused on the home and work hand in hand with your personal assistant Alexa. Amazon’s first robot was launched in 2021 in the US as a home helper and watchman.

Finally, we have Boston Dynamics, a company that has been experimenting in the sector for years. The company has been focused on improving its humanoid robot for some time, Atlas. The latest news suggested that the automaton would no longer be electric, but hydraulic.