Optimus humanoid robot requires 26 custom actuators per arm with no existing supply chain—Tesla forced into vertical integration of all motors, gearboxes, and power electronics from first principles

“none of the actuators in Optimus um are available from an exist existing supply chain. Um, so but I I think it is accurate to say that if successful, Optimus will be the biggest product ever... Um, so so but but the the AI chip will be pretty expensive like that that might be like55 or $6,000 of the of the bill of materials maybe more... we could not actually buy the actuators for any amount of money. they simply didn't exist even though there are I don't know 10 20,000 electric motors out there of various sizes and shapes um we've had to design uh every electric motor gearbox um and of and the controlling electronics from scratch basically from physics first principles”