Tesla is planning to use its Optimus humanoid robots to handle the task of plugging and unplugging charging cables for its Robotaxi self-driving fleet, according to a report from NetEase Auto. The move is seen as an interim measure before the company rolls out wireless charging, which is the ultimate goal for its autonomous ride-hailing operations.
The information comes from a recent interview with Tesla executives on the Munro Live show, where Lars Moravy, vice president of vehicle engineering, and Eric Earley, Cybercab project lead, discussed the company's charging strategy. They said that while Robotaxi vehicles can already drive themselves to Supercharger stations, the charging process still requires human staff to manually insert the plug. In cases where vehicles park inaccurately, adjustments are also needed.
The Cybercab, Tesla's dedicated robotaxi model, retains a hidden NACS charging port to leverage the existing Supercharger network, avoiding the need to build new infrastructure from scratch. However, the company sees this as a temporary solution. Optimus robots are expected to take over the repetitive task of plugging and unplugging, filling the gap until wireless charging becomes fully operational.
Wireless charging hub in Austin
On the infrastructure side, Tesla has already received approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for the Cybercab's wireless charging system. The company plans to build a dedicated Robotaxi charging hub in Austin, Texas, with 80 wireless charging units. Once the wireless charging facilities are mature, neither human workers nor Optimus robots will be needed for the plugging process.
However, the timeline for these plans remains uncertain. Optimus is only in early production at Tesla's Fremont factory, with first deliveries to enterprise customers expected in 2027. The widespread adoption of wireless charging also requires validation in terms of station infrastructure, power output, and cost, making it difficult to roll out on a large scale in the short term.
According to NetEase Auto, the company is still in the early stages of integrating Optimus into its operations, and the robot's ability to handle charging tasks will depend on further development and testing.
