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Tesla announced a significant change within its robotics division as Milan Kovac, the leader of the Optimus humanoid robotics program, is stepping down from his role. Joining Tesla in 2016 as an engineer for the core Autopilot team, Kovac later began leading the Optimus group in 2022. Citing personal reasons, Kovac explained in a post on X that he needs to spend more time with his family abroad after being away for too long. He emphasized that his departure isn't related to any political disagreements or recent controversies surrounding Elon Musk, affirming his unwavering support for Musk and the Tesla team.

Musk initially made headlines claiming that the Optimus robot project could potentially turn Tesla into a $25 trillion company. The concept of the humanoid robot was first introduced in 2021, although Tesla managed to showcase a prototype only in 2022. Described as capable of moving at speeds of up to 5 mph and carrying loads up to 45 pounds, the robot is projected to sell for $20,000 once production scales up. Demonstrations have shown Optimus handling delicate tasks like holding an egg, cooking, folding laundry, and disposing of trash.

However, significant challenges remain. One of the primary obstacles delaying the robot’s production is China's restrictive export policies on rare earth magnets, which are vital components. This supply chain issue means that a solid release date for Optimus is still not on the horizon.

Bloomberg, the first to report on Kovac’s departure, confirmed that he is leaving the company immediately. In the interim, Ashok Elluswamy, who currently leads Tesla’s Autopilot team, will take over Kovac's responsibilities with the Optimus project.