Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) CEO Elon Musk reaffirmed that the company has offered its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system to legacy manufacturers via licensing deals, but none have accepted so far. This confirmation follows a social media exchange highlighting the lack of industry adoption for Tesla’s autonomous driving suite.

The Licensing Standoff

On Monday, Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl predicted that Tesla FSD would remain an in-house advantage for a couple of years before being offered to other manufacturers. Scholl compared this potential shift to Tesla’s Supercharger network, which was initially exclusive to Tesla EVs before opening up to competitors.

Influencer Sawyer Merritt quoted Scholl’s post, stating that Tesla and Musk had "for years openly invited other automakers to license FSD," but noted that "none" of the manufacturers had accepted. Musk responded to Merritt’s post with a single word: "Exactly," backing the claim that interest from legacy automakers remains absent.

Previous Comments on Interest

This is not the first time Musk has addressed the lack of licensing deals. In November last year, he stated that the FSD system had been offered to legacy automakers, but they showed little interest. At that time, Musk mentioned that when legacy automakers did reach out, they "tepidly" held discussions about implementing FSD for a tiny program in five years.

Technology Approach and Criticism

Tesla’s FSD system has faced criticism for its vision-only approach to autonomous driving. This contrasts with the camera plus LiDAR-based approach that has become common in several other autonomous driving suites.

The system features various speed modes, including a "Mad Max" setting, but it does not offer full autonomy. Drivers are required to remain attentive at all times and be ready to take over driving duties.

Tesla’s AI chief Ashok Elluswamy recently said that Tesla will bet on relying on a "smarter FSD system" rather than company-imposed ceilings. This echoes Musk’s comments from July that the FSD system would become capable of being tailored to individual driver preferences.

Market Reaction

TSLA shares rose 0.15% to $375.79 during pre-market trading on Tuesday.

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) is auditing key suppliers in China as it prepares to scale production of the Optimus humanoid robot, according to a report by The Paper on Monday.

The audits involve major component manufacturers including Tuopu Group, Sanhua Intelligent Control, and Joyson Electronics. These firms supply critical parts such as actuators and joint modules for the robot.

Supply Chain Verification

Sources familiar with the matter told The Paper that these companies had already received orders for Optimus before the audits commenced. The process is designed to ensure compliance and quality standards are met prior to mass manufacturing.

Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the supplier audits or production timeline.

Production Goals and Facility Changes

Elon Musk has previously stated Tesla aims to produce 1 million Optimus units annually at scale. To facilitate this, the company has halted production of premium Model S and Model X vehicles at its Fremont, California facility to repurpose the space for Optimus assembly.

Lars Moravy, VP of Vehicle Engineering at Tesla, confirmed that the Fremont plant will host at least 40 distinct production lines for the robot. This complex setup reflects the intricate design and architecture of the humanoid machine.

Musk has also described Optimus as potentially becoming the world’s first Von Neumann machine, a theoretical self-replicating system capable of using available resources to reproduce itself.

Market Reaction

Shares of Tesla rose 1.39% to $369.34 during pre-market trading on Monday following the reports.

According to Benzinga Edge Rankings, Tesla scores moderately on Growth and Quality metrics but shows poor Value and Momentum. The stock also lacks a favorable price trend in medium and long-term outlooks.