Korean Media: Even Tesla's Optimus Cannot Do Without Chinese-Made Components!
On March 6, the South Korean media "Chosun Ilbo" published an article stating that Tesla's humanoid robot Optimus mainly relies on the Chinese supply chain for key components. Tesla has closely collaborated with hundreds of Chinese companies to develop the Optimus. As Tesla recently transformed its U.S. electric vehicle factory into a humanoid robot factory and plans to produce 1 million Optimus units annually, analysts predict that China's leading position in the robot component sector will be further consolidated. This indicates that the competitive landscape in the robot market will become clearer, with the U.S. dominating the "brain" while China dominates the "body".
Tesla has established cooperative relationships with hundreds of Chinese parts suppliers and has closely worked with some of them from the research and design stages. Chinese companies are considered the main players in the Tesla Optimus supply chain, similar to Apple's iPhone supply chain. It is understood that Chinese parts suppliers are building a supply chain covering all components of this robot, including actuators, motors, reducers, and visual systems. Although Tesla plans to conduct final assembly in the U.S., its core parts supply chain still heavily depends on China.
The main reason Tesla relies on the Chinese parts supply chain is cost. Not only do large-scale deployments of industrial robots in Chinese factories help reduce parts costs, but China has also classified humanoid robots as a strategic emerging industry, providing strong support through R&D funding, subsidies, and tax incentives. China has established a complete robot manufacturing ecosystem, accounting for 63% of the global humanoid robot parts supply chain. Morgan Stanley estimates that if Chinese parts were removed from the supply chain of the second-generation Optimus robot, the total cost would increase from $46,000 to $131,000. For Tesla, which aims to bring the cost of the Optimus robot down to around $20,000, it is impossible to rely on a supply chain independent of China.
Analysts point out that the global humanoid robot market is increasingly dividing into a "U.S. brain, Chinese body". The U.S., led by major tech companies, is advancing the development of the "brain" of robots through AI platforms. This "physical AI" aims to teach AI physical laws so that it can act in the real world. NVIDIA, Tesla, and Google are typical examples.
On the other hand, China responds with its powerful manufacturing infrastructure. China already has a supply chain capable of mass-producing core mechanical components that make up the "body" of robots. With low-cost parts, China sells humanoid robots at an ultra-low price of $16,000. A South Korean robotics industry insider said, "Eventually, once mass production reaches a certain scale, it is difficult to achieve profitability without using Chinese-made components. While the U.S. leads in AI brains, it is hard to catch up in manufacturing actual movable robot bodies."
Tesla CEO Elon Musk also believes China is his biggest competitor in the humanoid robot market. At Tesla's fourth-quarter 2025 earnings call, he stated, "China has excellent AI and manufacturing capabilities, and they will become Tesla's strongest competitor."
Original: toutiao.com/article/1858900535644169/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.