"If you work on Tesla's AI teams, next year will be the "hardest year" of your life. That's according to the company's vice president of AI software, Ashok Elluswamy, who spoke at an all-hands meeting for staff across Tesla's Autopilot and Optimus teams last month. Elluswamy said 2026 will be a key test for the automaker, according to insiders. The executive told staffers that they should expect to work more intensely than ever to achieve the company's goals. One person said the meeting was meant to be a "rallying cry.""
"Workers were given aggressive timelines for Optimus production, as well as targets for Tesla's Robotaxi service. As Tesla races to launch Robotaxis across the nation and ramp up production of the company's humanoid robot, the two divisions are at the center of CEO Elon Musk's biggest bets. Musk said during Tesla's earnings call in October that the company plans to operate its Robotaxi service in eight to 10 metropolitan areas by the end of 2025."
Ashok Elluswamy told Autopilot and Optimus staff that 2026 will be the hardest year and a key test for Tesla. Leaders held a nearly two-hour all-hands and urged employees to expect unprecedented intensity to meet company goals. Teams received aggressive timelines for ramping Optimus production and targets for scaling the Robotaxi service nationwide. Tesla aims to operate Robotaxis in eight to ten metropolitan areas by the end of 2025 and to have more than a thousand ride-hailing vehicles on the road. Optimus production is targeted toward the end of 2026, and executive compensation is tied to the success of Robotaxi and Optimus.
Read at Business Insider
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