Tesla Bot has got our competitive juices flowing, says Boston Dynamics CEO
Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter has commented on Tesla Bot, Tesla’s humanoid robot project, and he says it ignited a competitive spirit at the company.
Ever since Tesla announced its humanoid robot project, it has often been compared to Boston Dynamics, which is widely recognized as the leader in robotics.
The company was founded three decades ago as a spin-off from the MIT.
To the public, they are mostly known for their flashy and impressive videos of robots dancing and doing parkour, but they also work closely with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
It became more popular when it was acquired by Google, but it has since changed hands a few times and now it is owned by Hyundai.
With videos like this one below, Boston Dynamics has been able to grab most of the attention around robotics, but Tesla has been able to steal some of the attention away lately.
While Boston Dynamics is taking the approach of mainly developing new robotic technology and gradually finding applications for them, Tesla has been able to grab attention by instead selling the ambitious goal of general-purpose AI-based humanoid robot that will be to do a lot of different tasks.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk went as far as claiming that “everyone will want one,” and it could be as cheap as $30,000. This is significantly different from Boston Dynamics’ strategy, which involves selling way more expensive robots for more specific – mostly commercial and industrial – purposes.
But they are still expected to compete with Tesla Bot, which is expected to be used in manufacturing facilities at first.
Now Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter has commented on the new competition on the Lex Fridman podcast:
The CEO commented on Tesla getting into the robotics space:
It brought a bright light to the work we have been doing for over a decade and I think that’s only going to help. In fact, what we have seen, in addition to Tesla, we have seen a proliferation of robotic companies arise. […] It has brought excitement. Competitive juices are flowing. It’s all good.
Fridman asked Playter about his company going in a similar direction as Tesla with a more general-purpose and cheaper robot.
The CEO said that it is kind of why they released the following video:
Playter explained:
We wanted to show the world that we can do this parkour thing, but we can also pick up and move heavy things. If you are going to work in a manufacturing environment, that’s what you gotta be able to do. For the reasons I explained earlier, it’s not trivial to do so.
The CEO added that they plan to add more dextrous hands to Atlas, their humanoid robots. The hands were probably the most impressive part of Tesla’s latest robot demonstration last week.
Playter added:
Elon has seen the same thing. He is talking about using the robots in a manufacturing environment. We think there’s something very interesting there – about having a two-arm robot.
When asked about cost and how Tesla is focused on bringing the cost down, the CEO admitted that Tesla is in a great position by leveraging what it learned from benefits electric vehicles at scale, but he noted that Boston Dynamics also has the benefits of being backed by an automaker: Hyundai.
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After a month off trying to wrap our heads around all the chaos surrounding EVs, solar, and everything else in Washington, we’re back with the biggest EV news stories of the day from Tesla, Ford, Volvo, and everyone else on today’s hiatus-busting episode of Quick Charge!
It just gets worse and worse for the Tesla true believers – especially those willing to put their money where Elon’s mouth is! One believer is set to lose nearly $50,000 betting on Tesla’s ability to deliver a Robotaxi service by the end of June (didn’t happen), and the controversial CEO’s most recent spat with President Trump had TSLA down nearly 5% in pre-morning trading.
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Hyundai is getting ready to shake things up. A new electric crossover SUV, likely the Hyundai IONIQ 2, is set to debut in the coming months. It will sit below the Kona Electric as Hyundai expands its entry-level EV lineup.
Is Hyundai launching the IONIQ 2 in 2026?
After launching the Inster late last year, Hyundai is already preparing to introduce a new entry-level EV in Europe.
Xavier Martinet, President and CEO of Hyundai Europe, confirmed that the new EV will be revealed “in the next few months.” It will be built in Europe and scheduled to go on sale in mid-2026.
Hyundai’s new electric crossover is expected to be a twin to the Kia EV2, which will likely arrive just ahead of it next year.
It will be underpinned by the same E-GMP platform, which powers all IONIQ and Kia EV models (EV3, EV4, EV5, EV6, and EV9).
Like the Kia EV3, it will likely be available with either a 58.3 kWh or 81.4 kWh battery pack option. The former provides a WLTP range of 267 miles while the latter is rated with up to 372 miles. All trims are powered by a single electric motor at the front, producing 201 hp and 209 lb-ft of torque.
Although it may share the same underpinnings as the EV2, Hyundai’s new entry-level EV will feature an advanced new software and infotainment system.
According to Autocar, the interior will represent a “step change” in terms of usability and features. The new system enables new functions, such as ambient lighting and sounds that adjust depending on the drive mode.
It’s expected to showcase Hyundai’s powerful new Pleos software and infotainment system. As an end-to-end software platform, Pleos connects everything from the infotainment system (Pleos Connect) to the Vehicle Operating System (OS) and the cloud.
Pleos is set to power Hyundai’s upcoming software-defined vehicles (SDVs) with new features like autonomous driving and real-time data analysis.
As an Android-based system, Pleos Connect features a “smartphone-like UI” with new functions including multi-window viewing and an AI voice assistant.
The new electric crossover is expected to start at around €30,000 ($35,400), or slightly less than the Kia EV3, priced from €35,990 ($42,500). It will sit between the Inster and Kona Electric in Hyundai’s lineup.
Hyundai said that it would launch the first EV with its next-gen infotainment system in Q2 2026. Will it be the IONIQ 2? Hyundai is expected to unveil the new entry-level EV at IAA Mobility in September. Stay tuned for more info. We’ll keep you updated with the latest.
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Tesla has unveiled its lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery cell factory in Nevada and claims that it is nearly ready to start production.
Like several other automakers using LFP cells, Tesla relies heavily on Chinese manufacturers for its battery cell supply.
Tesla’s cheapest electric vehicles all utilize LFP cells, and its entire range of energy storage products, Megapacks and Powerwalls, also employ the more affordable LFP cell chemistry from Chinese manufacturers.
This reliance on Chinese manufacturers is less than ideal and particularly complicated for US automakers and battery pack manufacturers like Tesla, amid an ongoing trade war between the US and virtually the entire world, including China.
As of last year, a 25% tariff already applied to battery cells from China, but this increased to more than 80% under Trump before he paused some tariffs on China. It remains unclear where they will end up by the time negotiations are complete and the trade war is resolved, but many expect it to be higher.
Prior to Trump taking power, Tesla had already planned to build a small LFP battery factory in the US to avoid the 25% tariffs.
The automaker had secured older manufacturing equipment from one of its battery cell suppliers, CATL, and planned to deploy it in the US for small-scale production.
Tesla has now released new images of the factory in Nevada and claimed that it is “nearing completion”:
Here are a few images from inside the factory (via Tesla):
Previous reporting stated that Tesla aims to produce about 10 GWh of LFP battery cells per year at the new factory.
The cells are expected to be used in Tesla’s Megapack, produced in the US. Tesla currently has a capacity to produce 40 GWh of Megapacks annually at its factory in California. The company is also working on a new Megapack factory in Texas.
Ford is also developing its own LFP battery cell factory in Michigan, but this facility is significantly larger, with a planned production capacity of 35 GWh.
Electrek’s Take
It’s nice to see this in the US. LFP was a US/Canada invention, with Arumugam Manthiram and John B. Goodenough doing much of the early work, and researchers in Quebec making several contributions to help with commercialization.
But China saw the potential early and invested heavily in volume manufacturing of LFP cells and it now dominates the market.
Tesla is now producing most of its vehicles with LFP cells and all its stationary energy storage products.
It makes sense to invest in your own production. However, Tesla is unlikely to catch up to BYD and CATL, which dominate LFP cell production.
The move will help Tesla avoid tariffs on a small percentage of its Megapacks produced in the US. Ford’s effort is more ambitious.
It’s worth noting that both Ford’s and Tesla’s LFP plants were planned before Trump’s tariffs, which have had limited success in bringing manufacturing back to the US.
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