Tesla is producing hundreds of Optimus robots per week, but the company is reportedly facing dexterity challenges. It is targeting 1,000 humanoids per week by year-end.

Per reports by The Information, Tesla has ramped up Optimus production. The company went from a few dozen per week in the second quarter to several hundred per week last month. However, Tesla has not overcome all Optimus teething problems.

The same report says Optimus’ hand is proving difficult for Tesla to master. While CEO Elon Musk has boasted the bipedal robot would have human-level hand dexterity, the appendage assembly has been plagued by problems.

The hand and forearm comprise more than 100 screws and tiny components, requiring manual assembly.

Apart from the finicky parts, Tesla is also grappling with component reliability. It reportedly relies on suppliers in China, some of who struggle with quality at scale. As a result, some Optimus units have to be reworked after leaving the assembly line.

Tesla is working around this by developing a swappable “sensing glove” to make repairs less cumbersome.

Getting the humanoid to behave as intended is another uphill battle. Optimus is reported to function properly with tasks that it has been programmed for, but is clueless in unfamiliar territory.

The robot has not proven to be a fast learner as it takes several days to train it for basic jobs. Tesla will address this shortcoming by initially leasing the robot to companies where it will collect data for further training.

Tesla plans to ship 20,000 Optimus robots from the former Model X and Model S factory in Texas. However, the short-term goal is to increase output to 1,000 units per week before the end of 2026. Musk still believes Optimus will be Tesla’s biggest product ever.