Owing to setbacks encountered in the development of the robot's "hand" — the most technically intricate part — Tesla has shelved its initial plan of manufacturing thousands of Optimus robots this year. At the start of the year, Tesla had set out to ramp up production from dozens to thousands of units. In March, Musk even escalated the target to a minimum of 5,000 units; however, this ambitious goal met with internal opposition.

Several months down the line, the production target was revised downwards to 2,000 units. During the summer season, flaws in the "hand's" functionality emerged, diminishing its practical use. Consequently, Tesla ultimately scrapped its mass - production plan and reallocated resources towards making enhancements. Musk conceded that the hand poses the primary engineering hurdle.

Moreover, the project's delay was compounded by changes in the core leadership team. Notably, Milan Kovac, the head of Optimus engineering, left the company in June.