Tesla has officially started mass production of its Optimus humanoid robots at its Fremont, California factory—a facility originally dedicated to electric vehicle manufacturing. The launch of these robots signifies Tesla's first successful batch of humanoid robots that meet mass production criteria, and also confirms that the corresponding manufacturing processes are viable for commercial applications. Musk acknowledged that scaling up production capacity for this new product will be a gradual and demanding endeavor, with a production target set at 20,000 units per week by the end of 2027.

Due to significant investments in forward-looking sectors such as artificial intelligence and Optimus, Tesla's net profit for the third quarter dropped by 43% year-on-year to $787 million, accompanied by a slight decrease in total revenue. Within this, electric vehicle sales maintained stability, revenue from solar and energy storage businesses saw a decline, whereas the services segment, including FSD subscriptions, delivered a robust performance, reaching a new peak in gross profit. Tesla intends to incorporate some of its initial customer vehicles into its autonomous taxi fleet via software updates around the second quarter of next year.

The concurrent commencement of the robot production line and the pressure on profits highlight the substantial commitments and hurdles Tesla faces as it strategically pivots from a conventional automaker to a frontrunner in artificial intelligence and robotics.