Elon Musk Reveals Robot Plans to Outpace EVs as Analysts Predict Worst Quarterly Earnings Since 2022

• Elon Musk has announced plans to expand the production of Tesla Optimus robots in 2025.
• The comments come as analysts predict poor quarterly earnings for Tesla.
• Musk has urged staff to hold on to their shares, claiming the future is “bright and exciting.”

Elon Musk has revealed plans to ramp up the production of his Optimus humanoid robots this year, aiming to build 5,000 before the end of the year.

The ambitious predictions come as the world’s richest man navigates challenging times, with analysts predicting Tesla’s worst earnings in three years.

A “Roman Legion” of Robots

During Tesla’s all-hands meeting on Thursday, livestreamed on X, the Tesla CEO said the company planned to hopefully produce around 5,000 robots.

Musk said the company likely had enough parts to produce “10,000, maybe 12,000” robots.

“But since it’s a totally new product. Everything is totally new. I will say we are succeeding if we get half of the 10,000. But even 5,000 robots, that’s the size of a Roman legion,” Musk said.

The Tesla CEO said he believes the company will build “at least one legion of robots this year and then probably 10 legions next year.”

Optimus, a humanoid robot around 5 feet 8 inches tall, is fitted with the AI technology used in Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software.

Musk believes that in the near future, machines will be able to pick children up from school, do household chores, and even become personal bodyguards.

In April 2024, the world’s richest man said that Optimus was Tesla’s most valuable asset.

“If you’ve got a sentient humanoid robot that can navigate reality and do tasks at request, there is no meaningful limit to the size of the economy,” Musk said.

Tesla’s Struggles

On March 13, analysts at JPMorgan lowered their forecast for Tesla’s first-quarter deliveries by 20%, from 444,000 to 355,000.

If accurate, this would mark Tesla’s lowest deliveries since 2022’s third quarter and a substantial 8% decline from 2024’s first quarter.

According to analysts, Tesla’s declining sales and performance are being impacted by Musk’s work with U.S. President Donald Trump and the CEO’s political comments.

Bank of America’s analysts outlined how Tesla sales in Europe plummeted 50% in January 2025 compared to the previous year.

Tesla’s performance in Europe is “under far greater pressure than at home as a consequence of statements by Musk pertaining to the war in Ukraine, U.S. participation in NATO, and far-right political parties,” JPMorgan analyst Ryan Brinkman said.

Musk Urges Staff To Hold On to Shares

During the all-hands meeting, Musk didn’t shy away from the turbulent time his company is currently experiencing.

With Tesla’s stock having fallen over 50% since its all-time high in December, Musk urged his employees to hold on to their shares.

“There are times when there are rocky moments, a little bit of stormy weather, but I’m here to tell you the future is bright and exciting,” he said.

The world’s richest man also told staff he was “stretched pretty thin” in response to an employee asking him if he was interested in tackling the airplane and train industry.

“I have like 17 jobs, at this point. I just go to sleep, work, go to sleep, work, and then do that seven days a week pretty much,” Musk said.

Adding: “I guess I like being productive. I like getting things done.”