Tesla CEO Elon Musk attributed delays in the public unveiling of the Optimus humanoid robot to the fear of intellectual property theft by competitors. During the company's first-quarter earnings call, investors inquired about the release timeline for Optimus V3, which Musk described as Tesla's most significant product ever. Musk explained that the company is intentionally delaying demonstrations until the technology is closer to mass production. He noted that rivals meticulously analyze every released detail to replicate features, prompting Tesla to withhold specific innovations until they are ready for market entry. Production of Optimus is scheduled to commence at Tesla's Fremont, California facility in late July or August. This timeline follows the planned discontinuation of the Model S and Model X to repurpose the assembly line for robot manufacturing. Musk emphasized that dismantling the existing automotive lines and installing new robotics infrastructure will take several months, with the transition expected to be completed within four months if progress remains on schedule. A second production line is under development at the Austin Gigafactory, with full-scale operations there anticipated around the summer of 2027. According to Tesla's shareholder materials, the Fremont line aims for an initial output of one million units annually, while the Texas facility targets a long-term capacity of ten million robots per year. Musk clarified that while the robots may begin performing tasks outside of Tesla's factories by next year, they will initially focus on simple industrial applications. He highlighted that Optimus is designed to process intelligence locally, allowing it to operate independently without constant internet connectivity. However, the robot will still require human-like oversight for task assignment. Musk compared this relationship to a manager directing a team, where the interaction is necessary but not constant. This orchestration layer is expected to leverage Grok, xAI's AI chatbot, though the frequency of commands will be minimal. Musk stated that Optimus could operate for several hours before requiring new instructions. Despite his history of ambitious deadlines, Musk stressed the need for realistic expectations regarding production rates for 2026, acknowledging the complexity of transitioning from car manufacturing to robotics at scale.