Tesla may have shared a clue on what its Optimus Bot prototype looks like. Notice the hands forming a heart.
Tesla’s Optimus Bot prototype will most likely have very different features from what we saw on AI Day last year. During the presentation, Tesla didn’t have an actual working prototype. This time, I think, will be different.
AI Day 2021
On AI Day last year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that Tesla was working on a robot called Optimus. And someone dressed up as a robot came out and danced on stage. Elon has said several times that the Optimus Bot will become a valuable part of the company.
During Tesla’s Q1 2022 earnings call, Elon mentioned this.
“I was surprised that people do not realize the magnitude of the Optimus robot program. The importance of Optimus will become apparent in the coming years. Those who are insightful or who listen carefully will understand that Optimus ultimately will be worth more than the car business and worth more than full self-driving, that’s my firm belief.”
He also echoed this thought during Tesla’s Cyber Roundup last night.
Tesla’s visual hint for Dojo in 2021
When Tesla shared its graphic for AI Day last year, it gave a visual hint as to what Dojo would look like. I didn’t realize what the graphic was until Dojo was presented. However, I am no AI expert and was honestly kind of surprised (and excitedly grateful) when I was invited to attend in person.

AI Day 2022’s Banner

In this year’s banner, you can see a pair of robotic hands forming a heart. Although this is a cute graphic that would go great on merch, especially for Valentine’s Day, Tesla is known for giving out little hints.
Perhaps this is a visual hint as to how the Optimus Bot’s hands will look. Or, I could just be speculating and completely way off base. However, I’m not alone in my thinking. Other members of the Tesla community have had similar thoughts.
Vincent! you need to do a story on the Hands we saw!
I think everyone just glossed over the fact that we may be looking at the actual #Teslabot prototype!$Tsla #Tesla@EvaFoxU @BillyM2k @JohnnaCrider1 pic.twitter.com/yDa9botNze— I Stand With Ukraine????? (@TheJewbyrd7777) August 5, 2022
Tesla’s Optimus Bot hands
For Tesla’s Optimus Bot to do the tasks that humans find dangerous, boring, or unenjoyable, the bot will need to have hands that are extremely similar to that of a human. Human hands are very dexterous and can do a lot. We often take advantage of them.
Our hands can do a lot from typing, cooking, and writing to self-defense, art and so much more. Whether or not this is a graphic or an actual image of the Optimus Bot’s hands turned into a graphic, Tesla’s AI Day part 2 will be very educational.
Although this is pure speculation on my part, I do wonder if that graphic is a clue. However, it could just only be a cute and creative graphic.
Tesla Bot hands…
AI Day II is going to be bonkers!!! pic.twitter.com/WNXyOnru7l— Tesla Hype (@TeslaHype) August 4, 2022
Elon Musk talks AI on Full Send Podcast
Elon Musk was recently a guest on the Full Send Podcast where he had a great conversation about almost everything including artificial intelligence.
He said that it’s high on his risk list and that it’s advancing rapidly. When asked how soon, Elon replied that it would be less than ten years.
Elon noted that computers are already smarter than us in most respects and brought up the use of AI technology in advertising.
Disclaimer: Johnna is long Tesla.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or see a typo, you can email me at johnna@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @JohnnaCrider1
Elon Musk
Texas township wants The Boring Company to build it a Loop system
The township’s board unanimously approved an application to The Boring Company’s “Tunnel Vision Challenge.”
The Woodlands Township, Texas, has formally entered The Boring Company’s tunneling sweepstakes.
The township’s board unanimously approved an application to The Boring Company’s “Tunnel Vision Challenge,” which offers up to one mile of tunnel construction at no cost to a selected community.
The Woodlands’ proposal, dubbed “The Current,” features two parallel 12-foot-diameter tunnels beneath the Town Center corridor near The Waterway. Teslas would shuttle passengers between Waterway Square, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Town Green Park and nearby hotels during concerts and large-scale events, as noted in a Chron report.
Township officials framed the tunnel as a solution for the township’s traffic congestion issues. The Pavilion alone hosts more than 60 shows each year and can accommodate crowds of up to 16,500, often straining Lake Robbins Drive and surrounding intersections.
“We know we have traffic impacts and pedestrian movement challenges, especially in the Town Center area,” Chris Nunes, chief operating officer of The Woodlands Township, stated during the meeting.
“The Current” mirrors the Loop system operating beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center, where Tesla vehicles transport passengers through underground tunnels between venues and resorts.
The Boring Company issued its request for proposals (RFP) in mid-January, inviting cities and districts to pitch local uses for its tunneling technology. The Woodlands must submit its application by Feb. 23, though no timeline has been provided for when a winning community will be announced.
Nunes confirmed that the board has authorized a submission for “The Current’s” proposal, though he emphasized that the project is still in its preliminary stages.
“The Woodlands Township Board of Directors has authorized staff to submit an application to The Boring Company, which has issued an RFP for communities interested in leveraging their technology to address community challenges,” he said in a statement.
“The Board believes that an underground tunnel would provide a safe and efficient means to transport people to and from various high-use community amenities in our Town Center.”
News
Tesla Model Y wins 2026 Drive Car of the Year award in Australia
The Model Y is already Australia’s best-selling EV in 2025 and the tenth best-selling vehicle overall.
The Tesla Model Y has been named 2026 Drive Car of the Year overall winner, taking the top honor after being judged as the vehicle that “moves the game forward the most for Australian new car buyers.”
The Model Y is already Australia’s best-selling EV in 2025 and the tenth best-selling vehicle overall, but the vehicle’s Juniper update strengthened its case with new ownership benefits and expanded software capability.
Drive’s overall award compares category winners and looks at which model most significantly advances the local new car market. In 2026, judges pointed to the Model Y’s five-year warranty and the availability of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) as a monthly subscription as key differentiators.
Priced from AU$58,900 before on-road costs, the all-electric crossover SUV offers a lot of value compared to similarly sized petrol and hybrid rivals. The ability to access Tesla’s Supercharger network across Australia also reduces friction for buyers moving to EV ownership.
Owners can add FSD (Supervised) for AU$149 per month. While it still requires driver oversight, the system expands the vehicle’s advanced driver-assistance capabilities and reflects Tesla’s software-first approach.
“The default choice for a reason. The Tesla Model Y makes the transition to electric both effortless and rewarding,” Drive wrote.
The 2025 Model Y facelift also sharpened the vehicle’s exterior, highlighted by a distinctive rear light bar that gives the crossover SUV a more modern road presence.
Drive described the Model Y as a benchmark for combining practicality, efficiency and technology at an accessible price point. With eligibility for federal Fringe Benefit Tax exemptions through novated leasing, its value proposition has improved for numerous buyers.
For 2026, the Model Y’s combination of range efficiency, charging access and software capability proved decisive. Ultimately, the award all but cements the Model Y’s position as one of the most influential vehicles in Australia’s evolving new-car market today.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk reiterates rapid Starship V3 timeline with next launch in sight
Musk shared the update in a brief post on X, writing, “Starship flies again next month.”
Elon Musk has confirmed that Starship will fly again next month, reiterating SpaceX’s aggressive timeline for the first launch of its Starship V3 rocket.
Musk shared the update in a brief post on X, writing, “Starship flies again next month.” The CEO’s post was accompanied by a video of Starship’s Super Heavy booster being successfully caught by a launch tower in Starbase, Texas.
The timeline is notable. In late January, Musk stated that Starship’s next flight, Flight 12, was expected in about six weeks. This placed the expected mission date sometime in March. That estimate aligned with SpaceX’s earlier statement that Starship’s 12th flight test “remains targeted for the first quarter of 2026.”
If the vehicle does indeed fly next month, it would mark the debut of Starship V3, the upgraded platform expected to feature the rocket’s new Raptor V3 engines.
Raptor V3 is designed to deliver significantly higher thrust than earlier versions while reducing cost and weight. Starship V3 itself is expected to be optimized for manufacturability, a critical step if SpaceX intends to scale production toward frequent launches for Starlink, lunar missions, and eventually Mars.
Starship V3 is widely viewed as the version that transitions the program from experimental testing to true operational scaling. Previous iterations have completed multiple integrated flight tests, with mixed outcomes but steady progress. Expectations are high that SpaceX is now working on Starship’s refinement.
An aggressive launch schedule supports several priorities at once. It advances Starlink’s next-generation satellite deployment, supports NASA’s lunar ambitions under Artemis, and keeps SpaceX on track for its longer-term Moon and Mars objectives.