Tesla’s robotics team visited facilities operated by Tuopu Group, Sanhua Intelligent Controls and Joyson Electronics in Ningbo last week, according to local supply-chain sources cited by the newspaper. The inspections are reportedly focused on qualifying suppliers for components used in mass-produced Optimus robots.
All three companies have existing exposure to automotive components, and multiple companies involved have previously supplied Tesla’s electric-vehicle operations. Shanghai Securities News reported that Tesla is looking toward suppliers with both existing automotive relationships and robotics manufacturing capabilities as it develops the Optimus supply chain.
The newspaper describes the forthcoming robot as the third-generation Optimus and Tesla’s first version specifically designed for mass production. It reports upgrades to the robot’s dexterous hand mechanisms and joint actuators, with initial industrial applications expected to include material handling and simple production-line assistance.
The supplier inspections themselves remain reported rather than confirmed by Tesla. Shanghai Securities News said Tesla China did not respond when asked on September 21 about the latest round of robotics production audits. Local Ningbo supply-chain sources separately confirmed that Tesla’s robotics team had visited the companies.
Tesla began construction of its Optimus production project in Texas earlier this year as part of the expansion of Gigafactory Texas. Elon Musk has previously discussed much larger long-term production ambitions for Optimus, but those targets should be treated as company projections rather than current production capacity.
