News
Tesla Optimus robots will ship with a design no consumer has seen yet
Elon Musk described Optimus V3’s design as “exquisite.”
Tesla is already producing its Optimus units for its own use, but when the humanoid robot actually starts shipping to consumers, it will likely look like a completely different product. This was, at least, hinted at by Elon Musk during the second quarter earnings call.
Optimus design iterations
When Optimus was initially announced during Tesla’s first AI Day event in 2021, the company only had a static model of the humanoid robot and a literal person in a robot suit dancing on the stage. Over the years, Tesla has showcased increasingly refined versions of its Optimus robot, culminating in V2, which is currently being produced today.
During the Q1 2025 All-Hands Meeting, CEO Elon Musk told Tesla employees that the company will try to produce its first “legion” of Optimus robots this year.
At the time, expectations seemed to suggest that Tesla would go ahead and mass-produce Optimus V2 with some refinements, such as hands that have 22 degrees of freedom. Such speculations seemed reasonable since Optimus V2 already moves very well, and its design already looked refined compared to humanoid robots made by other companies.
Optimus V3 design
During the second quarter 2025 earnings call, Elon Musk clarified that when Optimus enters mass production, the humanoid robot will feature its Version 3 design. This means that the Optimus robots that will be delivered to Tesla’s first consumers will feature a different design compared to the Optimus V2 robots that have been in use by the company since 2023.
Elon Musk seems quite optimistic about Optimus V3’s potential, stating that the design of the humanoid robot would be quite exquisite. He also echoed his previous sentiments about Optimus likely becoming Tesla’s biggest product in the long run.
“The Optimus 3 design, as I mentioned earlier, is, I think, finding the right design. There will be further optimizations, but there are, I think, no fundamental changes that are needed for the Optimus 3 design. It has all the degrees of freedom that you really want or need,” Musk said, later noting that Optimus 3’s design is “exquisite.”
Tesla is yet to tease the design or overall look of Optimus V3, though one could assume that the robot will likely resemble the sleek, humanlike concept that the company showcased in 2021. If Optimus V3 does feature such a look, it would undoubtedly become one of the most futuristic products in the market, even in the coming years.
Elon Musk
SpaceX posts Starship booster feat that’s so nutty, it doesn’t even look real
The Super Heavy booster’s feat was so impressive that the whole maneuver almost looked like it was AI-generated.
SpaceX has shared a video of a remarkable feat achieved by Starship’s Super Heavy booster during its 11th flight test.
The Super Heavy booster’s feat was so impressive that the whole maneuver, which was captured on video, almost looked like it was AI-generated.
Super Heavy’s picture perfect hover
As could be seen in the video shared by SpaceX, Starship’s Super Heavy booster, which is nearly 400 feet tall, smoothly returned to Earth and hovered above the Gulf of America for a few seconds before it went for its soft water landing. The booster’s picture-perfect maneuver before splashing down all but capped a near-flawless mission for Starship, which is about to enter its V3 era with Flight 12.
The booster’s balance and stability were so perfect that some users on X joked that the whole thing looked AI-generated. Considering the size of Super Heavy, as well as the fact that the booster was returning from space, the hovering display all but showed that SpaceX is dead serious about keeping its dominant lead in the spaceflight sector.
Starship V2’s curtain call
As noted in a Space.com report, Flight Test 11 achieved every major goal SpaceX had set for the mission, including deploying Starlink mass simulators, relighting Raptor engines in space, and executing a stable reentry for both the Starship Upper Stage and the Super Heavy booster. The feat also marked the second time a Super Heavy booster has been reflown, a milestone in SpaceX’s quest to make the entire Starship system fully reusable.
Starship’s V2 vehicle will now give way to the upgraded Starship V3, which is designed for faster turnaround and higher payload capacity. The Starship program is expected to pursue even more aggressive targets in the coming months as well, with Elon Musk stating on social media platform X that SpaceX will attempt a tower catch for Starship Upper Stage as early as spring 2026.
Elon Musk
After moving Tesla to Texas, Elon Musk is back in the Bay Area with Neuralink expansion
The news marks a noticeable step in Musk’s expanding presence in the Bay Area, despite the move of his biggest companies, Tesla and SpaceX, to Texas.
Recent reports have indicated that Elon Musk’s brain-implant startup, Neuralink, has leased a five-story, 144,000-square-foot building in South San Francisco. At the same time, Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI is reportedly also looking around for a Bay Area office.
The news marks a noticeable step in Musk’s expanding presence in the Bay Area, despite the move of his biggest companies, Tesla and SpaceX, to Texas.
Neuralink’s Bay Area expansion
As noted in a report from the San Francisco Business Times, the property that Neuralink has leased is located at 499 Forbes Boulevard, and it was built by Aralon Properties before it was leased to cancer test developer InterVenn Biosciences. The site, however, had remained vacant since 2023 after InterVenn canceled its 10-year lease.
xAI, Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, is reportedly scouting for an even larger Bay Area office as well, as noted in a report from the San Francisco Chronicle. Combined, the two ventures could secure nearly 400,000 square feet of local workspace, a move seen as a symbolic return of sorts for Musk-led innovation to Silicon Valley.
Neuralink’s momentum
Founded in 2016, Neuralink develops brain-computer interfaces intended to help paralyzed patients control digital devices through thought. The company received U.S. regulatory approval in 2023 to begin human trials, with its first patient, quadriplegic Noland Arbaugh, making headlines for his stunning ability to control a computer cursor and play games using only his mind. Since receiving his implant, Arbaugh has stated that he now browses the web, plays video games like Mario Kart, studies neuroscience, and operates his smart home without lifting a finger.
Nauralink is only just getting started, with Elon Musk noting on X that the company is busy preparing its next product, Blindsight, for human trials. As per Musk, Neuralink is “aiming to restore (limited) sight to the completely blind next year,” an aggressive target for a potentially life-changing device.
News
Tesla Cybercab tests seem to be ramping up again
Elon Musk has stated that he expects the company to achieve a run rate of 2 million Cybercabs annually.
Tesla seems to be ramping the tests of its autonomous two-seater, the Cybercab, once more. This was hinted at in recent drone footage from both the Fremont Factory and Gigafactory Texas.
The fresh sightings of the Cybercab in the Fremont Factory and Giga Texas have renewed conversations about the vehicle potentially being built with manual controls today.
Fresh Cybercab tests
As noted by longtime drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer on social media platform X, he recently spotted a Cybercab driving on Giga Texas’ South River Road to the West side. Interestingly enough, the longtime Giga Texas watcher noted that this was the first Cybercab that he had seen conducting road tests in a while.
Over in the Fremont Factory, another Cybercab was spotted driving around the facility’s testing area. Similar to the Cybercab in the Giga Texas sighting, the vehicle that was spotted in the Fremont Factory seemed to be manually driven, at least based on the way it was being steered. This behavior has incited speculations among Tesla watchers that current Cybercab test units have manual controls, unlike their production version, which would have no steering wheel or pedals.
Cybercab production preparation
The sightings of Cybercabs around the Fremont Factory and Giga Texas bode well for the vehicle’s development and impending production. It does, if any, complement reports that Tesla has been busy setting up production equipment for Giga Texas’ Cybercab production line. At the same time, drone footage around the Giga Texas complex has also revealed that Tesla is stockpiling some Cybercab castings, a likely sign that initial test production of the vehicle might soon begin.
The Cybercab is expected to be Tesla’s highest volume vehicle, with CEO Elon Musk stating that he expects the company to achieve a run rate of 2 million Cybercabs annually. He also mentioned that the Cybercab will be easy to produce thanks to its Unboxed manufacturing process, so much so that its production would resemble a high-speed consumer electronics line instead of an automotive assembly line.
SpaceX posts Starship booster feat that’s so nutty, it doesn’t even look real
After moving Tesla to Texas, Elon Musk is back in the Bay Area with Neuralink expansion
Tesla Cybercab tests seem to be ramping up again
-
Elon Musk22 hours agoElon Musk was right all along about Tesla’s rivals and EV subsidies
-
News2 days agoTesla launches ‘Mad Max’ Full Self-Driving Speed Profile, its fastest yet
-
News2 days agoTesla launches new interior option for Model Y
-
News2 days agoTesla just teased something crazy with the next Full Self-Driving update
-
News2 days agoTesla reportedly places large order for robot parts, hinting that Optimus V3 design is all but finalized
-
News1 day agoTesla widens rollout of new Full Self-Driving suite to more owners
-
News1 day agoTesla exec hints at FSD Mad Max mode’s killer feature
-
News2 days agoTesla makes big move with its Insurance program