Top Tesla Engineer Departs Amidst Major Optimus Robot Development
Tesla’s Vice President of Engineering and Optimus humanoid robot project lead, Milan Kovac, unexpectedly resigned on June 6. Temporarily, his duties are now overseen by Ashok Elluswamy, head of Tesla’s Autopilot division. This leadership change comes at a pivotal time for Tesla, as they focus on long-term strategic goals with the Optimus project.
Key Departure in Tesla’s Robotics Ambition
Kovac played a crucial role in developing Optimus—one of Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s key projects. Musk has ambitious plans to release thousands of Optimus robots by 2025 and scale up production to a million units annually by 2030. Kovac announced his departure on social media platform X, citing personal reasons for wanting to spend more time with his family. He expressed confidence that the remaining team would elevate Optimus in collaboration with Tesla’s AI and engineering departments. “My departure will not change anything,” he stated emphatically.
Elon Musk’s Optimistic Outlook
Elon Musk has maintained a strong focus on the project, recently stating, “In the long term, autonomy and Optimus are all that matters.” Despite Kovac’s exit, Musk graciously acknowledged his decade-long exceptional contributions to Tesla. Just days earlier, Musk had recognized Kovac and Elluswamy as top AI experts who have been with Tesla since its early days.
Challenges and Prospects for Optimus
The shift in leadership follows concerns about supply chain issues, such as China’s export restrictions on rare earth magnets impacting Optimus production. Nevertheless, Tesla continues to showcase prototypes, including the Gen2 version unveiled in December 2023, which features enhanced mobility and can perform household tasks like folding clothes and moving items.
First announced in 2021, the Optimus project aims to address hazardous, repetitive, and laborious tasks. However, former Tesla employees, including original project head Chris Walti, question the efficiency of humanoid robots in industry, suggesting specialized logistics and warehouse solutions might be more effective.
