Musk Claims AGI Robot, But Tesla Logs Zero AV Test Miles in CA
Elon Musk stated Tesla Optimus could be the first humanoid to embody AGI, calling it the "first atom-shaping AGI." However, despite Tesla's high-profile robotaxi ambitions, California regulators report the company has logged zero autonomous testing miles in the state in 2026, highlighting a gap between its AGI narrative and verified deployments.
The zero-mile figure in California is part of a multi-year trend; Tesla has not logged any autonomous test miles with the state's DMV since 2019. To legally operate a commercial driverless service in California, regulations require companies to progress through a series of permits, with one proposed rule requiring at least 50,000 miles of supervised testing before applying for a fully driverless permit. By contrast, Alphabet's Waymo has logged over 20 million real-world autonomous miles nationally, with a significant portion in California, and Cruise has surpassed 10 million driverless miles. These companies use a combination of real-world testing and billions of miles in simulation to train their AI, a different approach from Tesla's reliance on data collected from its consumer fleet operating on its "Full Self-Driving (Supervised)" system. The term "atom-shaping AGI" used by Musk suggests an ambition for robots to manipulate matter with extreme precision, a capability that would be transformative for manufacturing. This ties into the long-term vision for Optimus, which Musk predicts could eventually cost between $20,000 and $30,000 and handle tasks from factory work to household chores. However, public demonstrations of Optimus performing complex tasks have often relied on remote human operation, a point frequently highlighted by critics. While Tesla has shown videos of the robot performing tasks like folding laundry and handling objects, competitors have released their own videos showcasing autonomous completion of similar tasks. The humanoid robot landscape is increasingly competitive. In 2025, Chinese companies Agibot and Unitree were the top two by shipments, with U.S. firms like Figure AI (working with BMW) and Agility Robotics (deploying robots with Amazon and GXO Logistics) focusing on innovation and functionality over volume. Tesla shipped an estimated 150 units in the same period. Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system remains at SAE Level 2, meaning it requires active driver supervision and is not considered fully autonomous. While the company has deployed FSD to hundreds of thousands of users in North America, competitors like Waymo operate at Level 4 (high automation) within specific, geofenced areas.
