Tesla cuts Optimus robot memory specs to scale production

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on October 1, 2026, that the electric vehicle maker has reduced the memory specifications on its next-generation Optimus robot chips to scale production. In a post on X, Musk said Tesla cut the AI5 chip's memory in half to 72GB of LP5 and reduced the AI6 chip's memory by a third to 144GB of LP6.

Musk called the adjustment the only way to get enough volume for Optimus production and said it greatly reduces cost. He noted the cuts should have a negligible effect on performance because memory bandwidth is a bigger limiting factor than total memory capacity.

The remarks followed comments on September 30, 2026, by Micron Technology CEO Sanjay Mehrotra during an earnings call, where he stated humanoid robots could require over 200 gigabytes of memory and multiple terabytes of storage per unit. Annual global DRAM production stands at roughly 45 billion gigabytes.

Tesla has reportedly placed its first large-scale component order for approximately 5,000 Optimus units and is auditing Chinese suppliers ahead of production. The company aims to eventually manufacture 1 million Optimus units annually.