Tesla Robot Optimus Shows Progress, Adding to Further Development of the Company

Image credit: Tesla

The last week has been full of Tesla news, so let us dive in. In today’s roundup: The company demonstrates its Optimus robot, lowers car prices, is working to prepare for expansion in Germany, and much more.

Optimus

Tesla continues to actively work on its bipedal robot, Optimus. In a recently shown video, it neatly folds a T-shirt, demonstrating impressive flexibility. Elon Musk explained that Optimus cannot yet do this activity autonomously, but will be able to do it fully autonomously and in an arbitrary environment in the future. Despite this, the video shows the robot's increasing range of motion and dexterity.

Expansion of Giga Berlin

Tesla continues to work to advance the expansion of its factory in Germany. The company held its fifth information event, the purpose of which was to inform the local population about the company's plans. Almost a year ago, the Grünheide municipal council overwhelmingly supported the new development plan, but Tesla is concerned that the local population is well-informed.

Meanwhile, Giga Berlin will almost completely stop operations between January 29 and February 11. The company said: “The armed conflicts in the Red Sea and the associated shifts in transport routes between Europe and Asia via the Cape of Good Hope are also having an impact on production in Gruenheide. The considerably longer transportation times are creating a gap in supply chains."

Price reduction

Recently, Tesla launched a price cut on its cars. It started in China and affected the updated Model 3 and refreshed Model Y. The reduction amounted to $915 to $2,200, depending on the model and configuration.

In addition, Tesla has reduced prices for Model Y in several European countries. This affected all car configurations and reached up to €5,000.

Cybertruck for the people

At the end of last week, the first known case occurred of Tesla delivering a Cybertruck to a non-employee. This suggests that more and more pickup trucks will soon be delivered to the company's customers.

The hotly anticipated Cybertruck will also go on a national tour through China, according to the company. Per Musk, it will be extremely difficult to license the truck for sale in the country. However, he did not say it would be impossible.

Tesla's NACS

On Tuesday, Mazda announced it will adopt Tesla's North American charging standard by adding charging ports to its electric vehicles sold in the region. According to the announcement, implementation is expected to begin in 2025.

The tax credit for the purchase of EVs is now applied immediately

Tesla has made significant changes to the purchase of its vehicles in the US. The company now applies a $7,500 federal tax credit on EV purchases outright at the point of sale. Previously, consumers had to wait to claim the tax benefit on their tax returns. Now, it can be deducted from the purchase price upon delivery. This move opens up even more options for purchasing Tesla vehicles, making them more affordable to an even wider range of consumers.