Tesla

[PUBLIC]

Humanoids · HQ: Austin, Texas · Est. 2003 · 4 models registered · 40 deployments

New deploymentRecent pressRecent incident

As of Sep 2026, DEPLOY verifies Tesla: 4 models, 40 deployments across 11 regions, 91 active incidents. 33 sources back the record.

Ownership

PUBLIC

Capital / Funding

Undisclosed

Headquarters

Austin, Texas

IP / Patents

11 Active

Platform Models

4

Audited Incidents

97

Overview

Electric-vehicle and AI company (NASDAQ: TSLA), founded 2003 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, with a physical-AI program spanning three robotics fronts: a robotaxi ride-hailing service, the Optimus humanoid robot, and the forthcoming purpose-built Cybercab. Robotaxi: Tesla launched robotaxi service in Austin in July 2025 and operates in two markets as of mid-2026: Austin (unsupervised L4 driverless; small active fleet of ~14, of ~42 vehicles registered with the Texas DMV, late May 2026) and the San Francisco Bay Area (supervised L2 under a CPUC TCP permit; ~1,655 vehicles registered with CPUC but only ~9 active as of late May 2026, down from a ~168 peak in January 2026). The active US unsupervised fleet is ~20 (14 Austin / 3 Dallas / 3 Houston) and has declined since a late-2025 / early-2026 peak; registered counts far exceed the active operating fleet. The vehicles are 2026 Model Y cars running Tesla's Full Self-Driving / Autonomous Driving System. At its Q4 2025 earnings call (January 2026), Tesla announced plans to expand to seven additional US cities (Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Las Vegas) in H1 2026; Dallas and Houston launched in April 2026, while the other five (Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Las Vegas) slipped to 'preparations underway'. The Austin operation carries a federally-mandated crash-reporting record (17 NHTSA-reported incidents July 2025 to March 2026, including two teleoperator-caused crashes; zero major crashes and no citations per Austin PD), and NHTSA has separately inquired into videos of erratic driving. Optimus: Tesla's humanoid robot, with Gen 3 mass production commencing at the Fremont factory on January 21, 2026. Notably, at the January 2026 earnings call Musk admitted that as of then zero Optimus robots were doing 'useful work' in Tesla's factories. Units at Fremont and Giga Texas are in a supervised learning and data-collection phase, not yet performing productive autonomous manufacturing work. Tesla committed $20B+ in 2026 capex toward Optimus, plans to convert its Fremont Model S/X lines to Optimus manufacturing (toward a stated 1-million-unit/year capacity by end-2026), and is constructing a dedicated Giga Texas facility, all production-capacity ambitions, with first productive internal deployment projected for late 2026 to 2027. Cybercab: a purpose-built, steering-wheel-free dedicated robotaxi vehicle, with production expected to begin around April 2026, not yet the deployed service vehicle as of early 2026. Tesla's physical-AI program operates under intense regulatory and public scrutiny, and is notable for the gap between its publicly stated targets and demonstrated results.

Audited Posture AssessmentPeer Percentile: 73.1%

Strong deployment footprint with 26 operational sites across 26 countries. Broad public reach with 46.2M video views. 27 incidents recorded in the past 90 days.

  • AV
  • HUMANOID
  • PUBLIC

Key Facts

CompanyTesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA); founded 2003; CEO Elon Musk
Robotics DivisionTesla Optimus humanoid robot program (announced 2021 AI Day); led by Milan Kovac (VP Engineering)
Optimus ClaimsClaimed: 5'8" height, 125 lbs, 2 mph walking speed, 150 lbs lifting capacity, $20K target price. Verifiable: public demos 2022-2024 showing slow walking, basic object manipulation; no independent verification of production readiness
Autonomy TransferFSD (Full Self-Driving) neural network and Dojo supercomputer training intended for robotics transfer; Ashok Elluswamy leads software stack
Patents3 USPTO robotics patents (humanoid design, linear actuator, tendon-driven hand) under Tesla assignee; broader automotive autonomy patent portfolio
ManufacturingOptimus manufacturing intended for Tesla Gigafactory Austin; 2024 claims of production line for training data collection
VVC NoteTesla Optimus claims are heavily marketing-inflated vs verifiable capability; timeline promises (2022 production, 2023 useful tasks) have not materialized; honest-absence on production scale
Optimus production timelineSlow ramp starting late July/Aug 2026 at Fremont; Gen 3 reveal pushed to mid-2026 (per Musk Jul 1, 2026)
Hero image candidatehttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Latest_Tesla_Optimus_Humanoid_Robot.jpg (source: Wikimedia Commons, license: CC BY 2.0)
First public MegachargerBloomington, CA — 6 stalls at 1.2 MW each (opened July 2026)
Robotaxi charging — Chandler AZ56 V4 Supercharger stalls on S Roosevelt Ave, Chandler AZ — private, Robotaxi-only (permitted, April 2026)
Robotaxi charging — Mesa AZV4 Supercharger site at 5349 E Main St, Mesa AZ — private, Robotaxi-only (permitted, April 2026)
SF robo-charging cancelledDropped plans for 150+ vehicle robo-charging site at 825 Sansome St, San Francisco (cancelled Feb 2026, Teamsters pushback)
We, Robot VVC (Oct 2024)Optimus demo claimed autonomous interaction — verified teleoperated. Bloomberg + Morgan Stanley confirmed human remote control. Tesla issued no correction. Marquee demo-vs-reality gap.
Teleoperation timelineOct 10: demo → Oct 12: MKBHD questions → Oct 13: Scoble engineer confirms → Oct 14: Bloomberg + Adam Jonas confirm tele-ops
Nevada AVNC PermitAVNC Permit 002 approved by Nevada Transportation Authority for paid robotaxi service in Las Vegas
Nevada fleet cap10 vehicles initially (requested 5,000); 5,000 unit cap gives runway if market moves faster
Las Vegas operating areaLas Vegas Strip corridor only, 45 mph max, no Harry Reid Airport pickups
Nevada robotaxi target~2,500 robotaxis deployed in Nevada by Aug 2027 (company-stated aspiration)
First responder trainingPartnered with Texas law enforcement for 5-minute instructional video for autonomous vehicle emergencies
Mission control centersTwo operational (Austin + Bay Area); open to more as fleet expands
Optimus Supply ChainSanhua (linear actuators ~19% BOM, $685M order), Tuopu (rotary actuators ~13%), Nidec (precision motors), Moog (electromechanical actuators), Green Harmonic + HDS (harmonic drives). 60-70% Chinese components. NdFeB magnets ~8% BOM, ~100% China-sourced.
Optimus BOM BreakdownCore components 45-50% of cost: actuators ~35% ($7K), harmonic/RV reducers ~10-15% ($2-3K), ball screws ~$500-1K. 14 rotary actuators + linear actuators. 60-70% Chinese components.
Optimus Reducer SuppliersGreen Harmonic (688017) — leading harmonic reducer supplier (~25% market share, targeting 60% by 2026 at 30-40% lower prices than Japanese). Fengli Intelligent (301368) — secondary, 500K-unit line Q4 2025. Beite Technology (603009) — ball screws ±5μm for dexterous hands.
Optimus Tier 0.5Top Group (Tuopu) positioned as Tier 0.5 supplier — undertakes assembly of linear/rotary actuators. Sanhua for linear actuator assemblies (~$685M order).
Optimus in Tesla app (reported)App 4.61.0 decompile reports Optimus as a home Energy site with dedicated Optimus charger IDs (Tesla_App_iOS / Whole Mars, Sep 2026). Not an official Tesla press release.
FSD safety AU/NZ (company-claimed)Tesla Instagram (Sep 2026) claimed FSD cut collisions 40% in Australia and New Zealand; company-stated, not independently verified here
Optimus China supplier audits (reported)Reported Sep 2026 (CnEVPost citing The Paper; SCMP citing executives): Tesla Optimus team auditing Chinese suppliers including Tuopu Group, Joyson Electronics, and Sanhua Intelligent Controls in Ningbo and the broader Yangtze River Delta. Industry sources say those firms had already received Optimus-related orders of differing sizes and would start production after passing audits. Not Tesla-confirmed; audits in progress, not framed here as completed certification
Musk humanoid scale forecast (CCTV Finance, Sep 2026)Musk-stated Sep 23 2026 (exclusive CMG / CCTV Finance interview, via CGTN): at least 1 billion humanoid robots within 10 years (or less), potentially ~10 billion in 15 years and ~100 billion in ~20 years if growth roughly doubles yearly. Framed personal robots for elder care, kids, tutoring, and one person managing hundreds to thousands of physical robots and digital agents. Forward-looking CEO prediction, not a Tesla production commitment
FSD v14.3.9 false camera service alerts (reported)Reported (Electrek Sep 22 2026; Not a Tesla App): FSD Supervised v14.3.9 can falsely show 'Poor camera visibility detected. Interior windshield residue cleaning is required' on clean forward cameras, often in bright sun or glare. Electrek reports Tesla Support confirmed the software fault (owner screenshot) and that Tesla is canceling related service appointments; a fix is expected in a coming software update. Do not treat v14.3.10 as confirmed fixed here (release notes so far match v14.3.9). Framed as company-confirmed via Support as reported by Electrek/NATA, not a Tesla press release
Optimus Gen 3 app UI assets (reported, Sep 2026)Reported Sep 23 2026 (Not a Tesla App): Android app UI assets show a sleeker Optimus Gen 3 design (covered joints, monolithic torso). Official UI assets per secondary app analysis; unconfirmed as final production design. Not Tesla press

Claims & Reality Assessment

28 entries
Field Reality Assessment & Demo vs Capability Audit
  • • OPTIMUS CLAIMS
  • • Claimed: 5'8" height, 125 lbs, 2 mph walking speed, 150 lbs lifting capacity, $20K target price. Verifiable: public demos 2022-2024 showing slow walking, basic object manipulation; no independent verification of production readiness
  • • VVC NOTE
  • • Tesla Optimus claims are heavily marketing-inflated vs verifiable capability; timeline promises (2022 production, 2023 useful tasks) have not materialized; honest-absence on production scale
  • • WE, ROBOT VVC (OCT 2024)
  • • Optimus demo claimed autonomous interaction — verified teleoperated. Bloomberg + Morgan Stanley confirmed human remote control. Tesla issued no correction. Marquee demo-vs-reality gap.
  • • FSD SAFETY AU/NZ (COMPANY-CLAIMED)
  • • Tesla Instagram (Sep 2026) claimed FSD cut collisions 40% in Australia and New Zealand; company-stated, not independently verified here

Audited Corporate Claims Ledger

Safety & Regulatory Posture

6 entries
Audited Incident & Recall FootprintLatest event: Sep 2026

9 recalls and 82 incidents on record (4 catastrophic, 6 critical, 26 serious, 17 moderate, 38 minor). Most recent: Sep 2026.

minor: 38serious: 26critical: 6moderate: 17catastrophic: 4

Evidentiary Regulatory Filings & Recalls

  • 26V255[filed]US Federal

    26V255nhtsa recall · us_nhtsarecalled2026-01-01Linked models: Cybercab

  • PE25-012[filed]US Federal

    PE25-012nhtsa investigation · us_nhtsaactive2025-10-07reportedLinked models: Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS)

  • PE24-031[filed]US Federal

    PE24-031nhtsa investigation · us_nhtsaactive2024-10-17Linked models: Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS)

  • 24E-067[filed]US Federal

    24E-067nhtsa recall · us_nhtsarecalled2024-01-01Linked models: Cybercab

  • 23V-838[filed]US Federal

    23V-838nhtsa recall · us_nhtsarecalled2023-12-12Linked models: Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS)

  • 23V-085[filed]US Federal

    23V-085nhtsa recall · us_nhtsarecalled2023-02-15Linked models: Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS)

Leadership & Founders

7 entries

Current Program Leadership & Executives

Ashok Elluswamysecondary-verified

VP AI Software / Optimus program lead

Elon Musksecondary-verified

CEO

Lars Moravysecondary-verified

executive

Founding Team

Martin Eberhard[Founder]

cofounder · founded 2003-07-01 · no longer at company

Marc Tarpenning[Founder]

cofounder · founded 2003-07-01 · no longer at company

JB Straubel[Founder]

cofounder · founded 2003-07-01 · no longer at company

Ian Wright[Founder]

cofounder · founded 2003-07-01 · no longer at company

Key Former Leadership (21 Tracked)

Milan KovacHead of Optimus (former)
Chris WaltiLead, mobile robotics / Optimus (former)
Adnan EsmailHardware Technologies
Natalie WiegandExecutive search (early)
Sterling AndersonHead of Autopilot
Jorge AldacoRobot Builder, Optimus Humanoid Program
Rémi CadèneAutopilot Engineer / Optimus Research Engineer
Mark SchwagerNevada Gigafactory / Fremont ops
Martin EberhardCo-founder & first CEO (2003-2007)

Partnerships & Commercial Deployments

16 entries
Total Tracked14
Operating9
Announced5
Concluded1

Key Recurring Partners

Einride4 · 1× joint · 7 total

Recent Verified Partnerships

  • Einride x Tesla Semi fleet dealAug 18, 2026

    MOST RECENT · Einride x Tesla Semi fleet deal · 2026-08-18 · with Einride · JUST ANNOUNCED · Virtuix x Tesla Optimus teleoperation training · 2026-07-28 · with Virtuix Holdings · OPERATING · Nidec x Tesla (Optimus Precision Motors) · 2026-01-15 · with Nidec Corporation · JUST ANNOUNCED · Tuopu Group x Tesla (Optimus Rotary Actuators) · 2026-01-15 · with Tuopu Group · OPERATING · Moog x Tesla (Optimus Electromechanical Actuators) · 2026-01-15 · with Moog Inc. · JUST ANNOUNCED

Operator Customers & Fleet Integrators

Tesla - 40 deploymentsTesla

Patents & Intellectual Property

11 entries
Active IP Portfolio (11 Filings Tracked)
  • WO2024072984A1[granted]USPTO

    WO2024072984A1wipopendingassignee

  • US20240182283A1[granted]USPTO

    US20240182283A1usptopendingassignee

  • WO2024073138A1[granted]USPTO

    WO2024073138A1wipopendingassignee

  • US11783574[granted]USPTO

    US11783574usptograntedassignee

  • US11961232[granted]USPTO

    US11961232usptograntedassignee

  • US12061987[granted]USPTO

    US12061987usptograntedassignee

  • US20230057509A1[granted]USPTO

    US20230057509A1usptopendingassignee

  • US10678244B2[granted]USPTO

    US10678244B2usptograntedgranted 2020-06-09assignee

  • US9646356B1[granted]USPTO

    US9646356B1usptograntedgranted 2017-05-09assignee

  • US10794711B2[granted]USPTO

    US10794711B2usptograntedgranted 2020-09-29assignee

  • US11061398B2[granted]USPTO

    US11061398B2usptograntedgranted 2021-07-13assignee

Platform Models

4 entries

Deployments

40 entries

Incidents affecting Tesla

97 entries

Autonomy Stacks & Software

2 entries
  • Tesla FSD-BotAutonomy Brain
  • Grok (xAI)Autonomy Brain

Sectors & Applications

3 entries

FAQ

14 entries
What is Tesla?

Electric-vehicle and AI company (NASDAQ: TSLA), founded 2003 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, with a physical-AI program spanning three robotics fronts: a robotaxi ride-hailing service, the Optimus humanoid robot, and the forthcoming purpose-built Cybercab.

What does Tesla make?

Tesla has 4 robot models on the DEPLOY registry: Semi, Cybercab, Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS) and 1 other (Tesla builds both physical robots and the AI that runs them).

Is Tesla publicly traded?

Yes. Tesla is publicly traded on public markets, per the DEPLOY registry.

Who competes with Tesla?

On the DEPLOY registry, peer companies to Tesla building in the same form factors include Unitree Robotics, DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, Dobot, AgiBot.

Who is the CEO of Tesla?

Elon Musk is the ceo of Tesla, per the DEPLOY registry.

How can I invest in Tesla?

Tesla is publicly traded (public markets), so its shares can be bought through any broker.

Where is Tesla headquartered?

Tesla is headquartered in Austin, Texas, USA.

Who owns Tesla?

Tesla is publicly held by its shareholders.

Where does Tesla operate robots?

Tesla operates 40 verified deployments, including at San Francisco, California, USA, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, Austin, Texas, USA.

How many robots has Tesla deployed?

DEPLOY has 40 verified Tesla deployments on record at sites including San Francisco, California, USA, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, Austin, Texas, USA. That is a count of distinct field deployments each backed by sourced evidence, not a manufacturer's claimed unit total; it updates as new sites are verified.

Is Tesla a top robotics company?

On DEPLOY's intelligence score, which blends verified deployments, funding, hiring, media, safety, and IP signals, Tesla ranks in roughly the top 27% of companies tracked by the registry.

When was Tesla founded?

Tesla was founded in 2003.

Are there any incidents involving Tesla?

91 active incidents involving Tesla are on the DEPLOY registry. Each is a sourced, append-only record; retracted incidents are suppressed from this view.

Is Tesla safe?

Tesla has 91 active incidents on record in the DEPLOY registry. 9 recalls and 82 incidents on record (4 catastrophic, 6 critical, 26 serious, 17 moderate, 38 minor). Most recent: Sep 2026. Retracted incidents are excluded from this count.