Tesla boss Elon Musk says the electrical automobile maker will begin producing and utilizing humanoid robots from subsequent yr.
In a social media submit, Mr Musk stated the robots will first be utilized by Tesla, which is able to begin making them to promote in 2026.
The announcement got here because the know-how billionaire has been pushing to chop prices at Tesla within the face of weakening demand for its vehicles.
On Tuesday, the corporate reported that earnings had dropped by practically half for the three months to the top of June, falling from $2.7bn (£2.09bn) to lower than $1.5bn (£1.16bn), as a gross sales hunch weighed on the underside line.
“Total, our focus stays on company-wide value discount,” the corporate stated on Tuesday in an replace for traders.
Tesla stated its automotive income fell 7% year-on-year within the quarter, regardless of a flurry of worth cuts and different incentives geared toward engaging clients.
It nonetheless eked out an general income rise of two%, because of development in its vitality storage enterprise.
Tesla’s shares fell by nearly 8% in after-hours buying and selling.
Mr Musk’s companies have been more and more specializing in applied sciences similar to synthetic intelligence, autonomous driving and robots at a time of slowing demand for electrical automobiles.
Mr Musk had beforehand stated he anticipated the robotic, known as Optimus, to be prepared to be used in Tesla factories by the top of this yr.
“Tesla may have genuinely helpful humanoid robots in low manufacturing for Tesla inside use subsequent yr and, hopefully, excessive manufacturing for different firms in 2026,” Mr Musk stated on his social media platform X, previously generally known as Twitter.
Different corporations, together with Honda and Boston Dynamics, have additionally been growing their very own humanoid robots.
Tesla has stated it goals to construct an “autonomous humanoid robotic” to carry out “unsafe, repetitive or boring duties.”
Mr Musk has beforehand stated Tesla aimed for the robots to be mass produced and price lower than $20,000 (£17,900) every.
He’s identified for setting bold timelines for his firms, which he has not all the time met.
In 2019, he stated he felt “very assured” Tesla would have self-driving taxis on the street by the next yr.
Earlier this yr, Mr Musk stated the long-awaited robo-taxi can be unveiled on 8 August, however that occasion has reportedly been delayed.
Tesla stated on Tuesday that it was nonetheless working “vigorously” on robo-taxis, however the timing of the rollout would rely partly on regulatory approval.
