Tesla starts Optimus production in California, TechCrunch reports

On October 21, 2026, TechCrunch reported that Tesla had started production of its humanoid robot, Optimus, in California. It also reported that the company's profit had fallen 43%.

With Tesla reported to have started production of Optimus, the market will be watching to see whether the company's humanoid robot has moved from prototyping and demonstrations into manufacturing. The report also mentioned a 43% drop in profit, making how the robot investment is being treated financially another point of scrutiny.

Public reports about Tesla's Optimus have been concentrated between October 19 and 21. For example, Tech Insider reports weekly production of 1,000 Tesla Optimus units focused on production pace, while Tesla's third-generation Optimus reportedly ready for mass production focused on mass-production readiness and related infrastructure. By contrast, this TechCrunch report describes production as having started. That is more concrete than reports of readiness or weekly production capacity, but what can be confirmed from public information remains limited; see the original source for details. The news therefore suggests that Optimus has moved from research and development into manufacturing, while leaving open the separate question of how stable the actual production operation is. If production has indeed started, the next issues are likely to include how Tesla manages parts procurement, assembly processes, quality control and software updates. However, TechCrunch's headline also mentions a 43% drop in profit, and the robot program's progress should be considered separately from the company's overall profitability. In the context of earlier reports, the October 19 report of weekly production of 1,000 units emphasized capacity, while the October 21 report of mass-production readiness emphasized preparations. This report of production starting can be seen as describing the implementation phase between them, but public information does not reveal customers, destinations for shipments, utilization rates or yields. Points to watch are: (1) which stages of production in California have moved into actual production; (2) whether the reported level of 1,000 units per week can be sustained; and (3) what priority Optimus has in capital allocation amid the 43% drop in profit.

Public information does not confirm any supply relationships involving Japanese companies or the Japanese market, so the direct impact on Japan is limited. However, if humanoid robots have indeed reached mass production, this could offer Japanese companies with components such as motors, reducers, sensors and battery-related parts insight into design changes and quality requirements.