Elon Musk has outlined a new timeline for Tesla’s humanoid robot Optimus, saying the company intends to start selling the robot to private customers for home use in 2027.
Musk shared the update while attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he framed Optimus as a long-term extension of Tesla’s automation efforts rather than a short-term consumer gadget.
Optimus currently operates inside Tesla factories, where the robot performs basic tasks such as sorting parts and moving materials within a controlled industrial environment.
Tesla announced the second generation version of Optimus in December. It introduced a lighter chassis, faster motion, and improved manual dexterity, with the goal of supporting more complex physical interactions.
Musk said Tesla plans to expand the role of Optimus within its manufacturing facilities throughout 2026, using the factory rollout as a testing ground before rolling it out to consumers.
From factory automation to home use
The proposed expansion into private homes marks a major shift for Tesla, and would position Optimus beyond industrial robots into a new category: general-purpose household assistants.
Musk acknowledged that Optimus must meet safety requirements and reliability standards before entering uncontrolled home environments, but suggested the robot would eventually be able to perform everyday household tasks.
Tesla has previously indicated a long-term price target of less than $30,000 for Optimus, but the company has not confirmed whether that number is realistic for the consumer model.
Public reaction to the announcement was mixed, with online communities expressing skepticism based on Tesla’s history of delayed product schedules and non-delivery.
Commenters cited projects such as fully autonomous driving, robotaxis, and next-generation roadsters as examples of projects that have fallen several years behind their promised schedules.
Despite the skepticism, investors reacted positively, with Tesla’s stock rising following Musk’s comments, showing continued market confidence in the company’s robotics ambitions.
If Tesla is successful, Optimus will be one of the first humanoid robots to find mainstream home use rather than limited industrial or research use.
For now, the 2027 timeline remains ambitious, and the transition from factory assistant to home robot will depend on Tesla’s ability to scale production, increase autonomy, and meet stringent safety standards over the next two years.
