Tesla starts raising the steel structure of its Optimus factory

Signals Inbox·July 13, 2026·Humanoid Robotics

Tesla is no longer treating Optimus like a side experiment. Steel is now rising at its dedicated Giga Texas factory, which Tesla says is being designed for a long-term capacity of 10 million humanoid robots a year. The tension is huge: Tesla reportedly shipped fewer than 500 intelligent robots in 2025, so it is building mass-market capacity long before mass-market production has been proven.

Q1What actually happened?

Drone footage from Giga Texas observer Joe Tegtmeyer shows workers rapidly assembling the steel superstructure of Tesla’s dedicated Optimus factory. The structure is now eight column grids long, while foundation work continues on the southern end. In simple terms, this has moved beyond land clearing and concrete. The actual factory building is starting to rise.

Q2How large is Tesla’s plan?

Very large. In its Q1 2026 update, Tesla said the Texas line is being designed for a long-term capacity of 10 million Optimus robots per year. That is roughly 27,000 robots every day if the plant ever runs at full capacity. Tesla’s first large-scale Fremont line is designed for one million a year, making the Texas target ten times bigger.

Q3Why build such a huge factory now?

Tesla believes humanoid robots could eventually become a product as large as, or larger than, cars. Building the factory early gives it time to design production lines, secure suppliers and learn how to assemble thousands of complex parts cheaply. Tesla’s usual strategy is not to wait for a perfect product. It builds manufacturing systems while the product is still improving.

Q4What makes the target so aggressive?

The starting point is tiny. Industry estimates say Tesla shipped fewer than 500 general-purpose intelligent robots in 2025. Going from hundreds of robots to a factory designed for 10 million means scaling by more than four orders of magnitude. Cars also have mature suppliers, safety rules and proven demand. Humanoid robots still need reliable hands, useful software, affordable actuators and customers willing to pay.

Q5Is Tesla ahead of other humanoid companies?

On planned factory scale, yes. Figure, Apptronik, Agility Robotics and several Chinese companies are also building production capacity, but Tesla’s stated 10-million-unit target is unusually large. Its advantage is experience building complex products at automotive volumes. Its weakness is that rivals are already testing robots with outside customers, while much of Optimus’ work has remained inside Tesla facilities.

Q6So what should we watch next?

Not the building alone. Watch how many robots Tesla actually produces, what they cost, how long they work without failing and whether they perform useful jobs without constant human help. The rising steel proves Tesla is committing real industrial capacity. It does not yet prove that millions of companies or households will want an Optimus robot. The factory is real. The demand and reliability still need receipts.