Key Takeaways
- Multiple secondary outlets, including Yicai Global, Moomoo, ShiftDelete, and TokenPost, are reporting that Tesla has begun Optimus production, but Tesla has not issued an official statement confirming the milestone or any volume figures.
- Elon Musk's reported comments about leasing rather than selling Optimus robots, a roughly $30,000 price, and a build cost falling toward $20,000 are carried by Moomoo, ShiftDelete, and TokenPost; these figures are third-party summaries awaiting Tesla confirmation.
- Yicai Global reported that Chinese Tesla suppliers pared gains after denying knowledge of Optimus factory checks, and those denials are attributed to the suppliers themselves, not to Tesla.
- The aspirational targets of 1 million and 10 million humanoid robots were described in secondary coverage as Musk's forward-looking remarks, and no official Tesla shareholder update or regulatory filing has repeated them.
- The reported 43% quarterly profit drop appears alongside Optimus production coverage in outlets such as Cryptorank and BigGo Finance, but the exact reporting period and source document behind the figure were not specified in the available summaries.
Background
Timeline
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| Nov 6, 2026 | Elon Musk said Tesla is leaning toward renting Optimus humanoid robots rather than selling them outright. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Musk cited an Optimus build cost of about $30,000, expected to fall toward $20,000. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Musk described aspirational Optimus production targets of 1 million and even 10 million robots, aiming for an |
| Nov 6, 2026 | No Optimus rental pricing or launch date was disclosed. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Elon Musk said Tesla will probably rent its Optimus robots, making rental rather than sale the planned commerc |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Reports cite an approximately $30,000 build cost for Tesla's Optimus robot, while no rental price has been ann |
| Nov 9, 2026 | Tesla has begun production of its Optimus humanoid robot, according to reports. |
The Latest Development
Multiple media reportsMultiple secondary outlets—including Cryptorank, BigGo Finance, Moomoo, and ShiftDelete—are reporting that Tesla has begun production of its Optimus humanoid robot. The coverage pairs that claim with a reported 43% drop in Tesla's quarterly profit, though the reporting period and source document behind the profit figure are not specified in the available summaries. Tesla has not issued an official press release or shareholder update confirming that Optimus production has started, nor has the company published production volume or pricing.
Yicai Global reported that Chinese Tesla suppliers pared gains after denying they had knowledge of Optimus factory checks. The denials are attributed to the suppliers, not to Tesla, and they undercut any direct supply-chain confirmation of Optimus factory activity. Yicai Global's reporting frames the pared gains as a response to the denials, but that causal link is the outlet's interpretation rather than a confirmed company statement.
Elon Musk is reported to have said Tesla may lease rather than sell Optimus robots, with a roughly $30,000 humanoid potentially rented instead of bought as build cost falls toward $20,000. Moomoo, ShiftDelete, and TokenPost carried versions of these comments, and Musk also described aspirational targets of 1 million and then 10 million robots. Those figures are third-party summaries of the CEO's remarks, not official pricing or production guidance, and no verified Tesla account has confirmed them.
Owner / Hands-on Perspective
Tesla owners who want to track Optimus announcements should rely on Tesla's Investor Relations page and quarterly shareholder update letters, not secondary news summaries. Set a keyword alert for 'Optimus' in your email client using the investor relations URL; official filings are the first place production volumes, lease terms, or pricing would appear if Tesla formalizes them. Do not place a deposit or make a purchase decision based on the $30,000 retail or $20,000 build cost figures currently circulating in secondary coverage.
For owners curious about Tesla's robotics stack, the in-car camera visualization under Controls > Autopilot shows how the vehicle labels nearby objects such as cars, pedestrians, and traffic cones; Tesla has stated that Optimus uses a similar perception approach, though no consumer-facing Optimus integration exists in current Tesla vehicles. Checking that visualization while parked can make the underlying autonomy hardware more concrete, but it does not provide any confirmation of Optimus production status.
What It Means
Confirmed
What is corroborated at this stage is limited. Multiple secondary outlets—including Yicai Global, Moomoo, ShiftDelete, and TokenPost—have published reports about Optimus production, leasing, and supplier denials. Yicai Global's account of Chinese suppliers denying knowledge of factory checks is attributed to the suppliers themselves. No Tesla press release, shareholder update, regulatory filing, or verified Elon Musk social media post in the available summary confirms production start, lease terms, cost figures, or production targets.
Speculation
The reported production start, the 43% quarterly profit drop, the $30,000 price, the $20,000 projected build cost, and the 1 million and 10 million robot targets are all carried by secondary outlets and remain unconfirmed by Tesla. The supplier denials reported by Yicai Global may suggest that factory-level Optimus activity had not yet been communicated to those suppliers, but that inference is not established fact. Any leasing model is a reported possibility, not an announced program.
FAQ
QHas Tesla officially confirmed that Optimus production has started?
No. Tesla has not issued an official statement or regulatory filing confirming Optimus production has begun. Multiple secondary outlets, including Cryptorank and ShiftDelete, have reported the start, but these reports await company confirmation.
QDid Elon Musk say Tesla would lease Optimus robots?
Moomoo and ShiftDelete report that Musk said Tesla may lease rather than sell Optimus robots, and TokenPost carried similar coverage. However, these are secondary accounts of the CEO's remarks, and Tesla has not published an official leasing program.
QWhat is the reported price of an Optimus robot?
Secondary outlets report a roughly $30,000 humanoid price, with Musk suggesting build cost could fall toward $20,000. These figures are not confirmed in any official Tesla pricing document.
QWhy did Chinese Tesla suppliers pare gains?
Yicai Global reported that Chinese Tesla suppliers pared gains after they denied having knowledge of Optimus factory checks. The denials came from the suppliers, not from Tesla.
QAre Tesla's 1 million and 10 million Optimus targets official?
No. Musk described those figures as aspirational targets in secondary coverage, and Tesla has not included them in an official shareholder update or product roadmap.
QWhat should I do before ordering an Optimus?
Wait for Tesla's official order page or leasing terms, and do not place a deposit based on media-reported price or production figures. Check Tesla's quarterly shareholder update for any Optimus production or pricing disclosure.
Information compiled from official statements and independent reporting, published November 9, 2026. Confirmed facts and unconfirmed/speculative points are separated above.
