Tesla showcases upcoming Gen 3 humanoid robot in China

Tesla showcased its third-generation humanoid robot at AWE 2026 and plans to launch mass production of the product by the end of 2026.Tesla has set a long-term planned production capacity of 1 million units per year for the robot.(Image credit: Cailian)Tesla showcased its upcoming third-generation humanoid robot at the 2026 Appliance & Electronics World Expo (AWE 2026), which opened Thursday in Shanghai.This will be the US electric vehicle (EV) maker's first mass-produced version humanoid robot, with production scheduled to start by the end of 2026, local media outlet Cailian reported today, citing on-site staff.The final version of the robot may have slight differences from the one displayed, and its long-term planned production capacity is 1 million units per year, the report noted.Join us on Telegram or Google NewsTesla also exhibited products including the Cybertruck at AWE 2026. The company has been absent from major Chinese auto shows in recent years.(Image credit: Cailian)Yesterday, Tesla shared two images of its humanoid robot on Weibo, hinting at its exceptionally complex and dexterous hands.(Image credit: Tesla)In February, Tesla said on Weibo, China's equivalent of X, that its third-generation humanoid robot would debut soon, marking the company's first mass-production ready humanoid robot.Tesla redesigned the third-generation humanoid robot from first principles, and the company said it can learn new skills by observing human behavior.Elon Musk, CEO of the US EV maker, mentioned during an earnings call on January 28 that the company would launch Optimus V3 humanoid robot in the first quarter of this year.Musk said at the time that Tesla would end production of the Model S sedan and Model X SUV to make room for manufacturing the Optimus robots.Tesla is currently already using some robots to perform simple tasks in its factories, and Musk expects them to be able to execute more complex tasks by the end of 2026.Earlier in January at the World Economic Forum, Musk indicated that the Optimus robot could potentially be sold to the public by the end of 2027.The marketing and exhibition in China suggest that Tesla likely hopes its robots will be as widely popular in the country as its EVs.China excels in both artificial intelligence and manufacturing, and Musk believes the country will undoubtedly become Tesla's strongest competition in this field.Musk on Xpeng's Iron humanoid robot: 'Tesla and China companies will dominate the market'"Other companies in the West are weak," Musk said.