Elon Musk Says Optimus Production Will Be 'Extremely Slow' in the Beginning: 'This is Not Like Making a Car'

Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.

Elon Musk pushed back Wednesday against speculation that Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ) is ahead of schedule on production of its Optimus V3 humanoid robot, saying the company’s initial ramp will be extremely slow because Tesla is building an entirely new manufacturing system.

Musk Says Optimus Ramp Starts Slowly

“No, Optimus production will be extremely slow at first, as everything is new. This is not like making a car,” Musk wrote in a reply on X.

No, Optimus production will be extremely slow at first, as everything is new. This is not like making a car.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 1, 2026

Don’t Miss:

Musk was responding to an X user named Doctor Jack, who suggested Tesla may have delayed the Optimus V3 demo because the company had realized it was further ahead on production than expected and wanted to prevent competitors from copying its designs. The user predicted a major reveal with many functional robots on stage and news that meaningful production had already begun, citing earlier comments from Tesla executive Lars Moravy.

Musk’s response partially countered that ahead-of-schedule theory. His comments align with his earlier warnings that Optimus production would follow a classic manufacturing S-curve, with slow early output followed by faster scaling.

Musk has said the early phase will focus on getting the assembly process right rather than chasing high volume. The difficulty stems from the robot’s complexity. Optimus contains roughly 10,000 unique parts that must work together, creating many possible bottlenecks in production.

Fremont Factory Shifts From Cars To Robots

The comment came a day after Musk posted a photo of himself standing with the Optimus production team inside Tesla’s Fremont factory. The image showed Musk with his arms crossed among workers wearing hard hats and safety vests.

Tesla has converted production space at Fremont, including lines previously used for the Model S and Model X, to support initial assembly of Gen 3 Optimus robots.

Pilot production is expected to begin this summer at Fremont. A second, much larger Optimus factory is under construction at Giga Texas. High-volume production is not expected until around summer 2027, with Tesla targeting a long-term capacity of 10 million robots annually.

Deliveries Report Could Refocus Tesla Investors

Tesla and Musk have described Optimus as the company’s “biggest product ever,” arguing its long-term value could eventually surpass the electric vehicle business.

Tesla’s near-term vehicle business will also come back into focus on Thursday when the company reports second-quarter deliveries.

Investor Gary Black of The Future Fund has projected roughly 410,000 deliveries, above consensus, while Ross Gerber of Gerber Kawasaki has said Tesla had a “solid” quarter after predicting sales could rise as higher gas prices tied to the Iran war pushed more buyers toward electric vehicles.

According to Benzinga Edge Rankings, Tesla stock offers satisfactory Momentum and Quality. It also offers a favorable price trend in the Short, Medium and Long term.

Photo Courtesy: Frederic Legrand – COMEO on Shutterstock.com

Read Next: Think you’re saving enough for your kids? You might be dangerously off — see why

Building Wealth Across More Than Just the Market

Building a resilient portfolio means thinking beyond a single asset or market trend. Economic cycles shift, sectors rise and fall, and no one investment performs well in every environment. That’s why many investors look to diversify with platforms that provide access to real estate, fixed-income opportunities, precious metals, and even self-directed retirement accounts. By spreading exposure across multiple asset classes, it becomes easier to manage risk, capture steady returns, and create long-term wealth that isn’t tied to the fortunes of just one company or industry.

Arrived

Backed by Jeff Bezos, Arrived Homes makes real estate investing accessible with a low barrier to entry. Investors can buy fractional shares of single-family rentals and vacation homes starting with as little as $100. This allows everyday investors to diversify into real estate, collect rental income, and build long-term wealth without needing to manage properties directly.

FarmTogether

Farmland has historically held its value through market volatility and delivered returns uncorrelated to stocks and bonds. For accredited investors, FarmTogether offers direct access to high-quality U.S. farmland starting at $15,000 — fully managed, with no landlord headaches.

Fundrise

Private real estate and private credit can add income and stability to a stock-heavy portfolio. Fundrise offers access to diversified private real estate and credit strategies through an easy-to-use platform, with professionally managed portfolios designed to generate passive income and long-term growth.

Realberry

Institutional-quality real estate has traditionally been difficult for individual investors to access. Realberry gives accredited investors direct access to private real estate opportunities backed by a team with 35 years of experience, $3.4 billion in assets under management, and $481 million in cumulative distributions paid to investors as of Q4 2025, according to the company. With a portfolio spanning 13 million square feet across seven U.S. states, Realberry focuses on acquiring, developing, and managing real estate with an emphasis on long-term value creation while its principals often invest alongside clients to help align interests.

Immersed

Immersed is building technology for the future of work through spatial computing. Known for its AR/VR productivity platform that enables users to work across multiple virtual screens, the company has grown to more than 1.5 million users worldwide. Immersed is also developing Visor, a lightweight headset designed specifically for professional productivity, positioning the company at the intersection of remote work, extended reality (XR), and next-generation computing.

BluSky AI

The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence is creating significant demand for data centers, power, and compute infrastructure. BluSky AI is building modular AI data centers designed to support next-generation AI workloads while aiming to reduce deployment timelines compared to traditional facilities. For investors looking beyond AI software and applications, the company offers exposure to the infrastructure layer that makes artificial intelligence possible.

ARK7

Residential real estate has historically provided investors with income potential and long-term appreciation, but direct ownership can be expensive and time-consuming. ARK7 enables investors to buy fractional shares of rental properties, offering access to potential rental income and real estate exposure without property management responsibilities. By lowering the barrier to entry, the platform gives investors another way to diversify beyond traditional stocks and bonds.

Miso Robotics

Robotics and automation are becoming increasingly important tools for businesses facing labor shortages and rising operating costs. Miso Robotics develops AI-powered kitchen technology that is already being deployed in restaurant environments, with products designed to help operators improve efficiency and streamline operations. As artificial intelligence expands beyond software and into real-world applications, the company is positioning itself at the intersection of robotics, automation and the future of food service.

Vinovest

Fine wine and rare whiskey have historically moved independently of the stock market, making them a compelling alternative asset. Vinovest manages authenticated, insured portfolios of investment-grade wine and whiskey starting at $5,000 — sourcing, storage, and insurance all handled for you.

EquityMultiple

For accredited investors looking beyond stocks and bonds, EquityMultiple provides access to vetted commercial real estate deals starting at $5,000 , with only ~5% of opportunities passing their due diligence process.

Mode Mobile

Mode Mobile is changing the way people interact with their phones by letting users earn money from the same apps and activities they already use every day. Instead of platforms keeping all the advertising revenue, Mode Mobile shares a portion back with users who engage with content, play games, and scroll on their devices. Named one of Deloitte’s fastest-growing software companies in North America, the company has built a large beta user base and is scaling a model that turns everyday smartphone usage into a potential income stream.

Elon Musk Says Optimus Production Will Be ‘Extremely Slow’ in the Beginning: ‘This is Not Like Making a Car’

Tags: