1X NEO and Tesla Optimus: when they arrive and how much they cost

Tesla Optimus has no price and cannot be bought. Elon Musk said at Davos, in January 2026, that Tesla aims to sell it to the public "by the end of 2027" at $20,000–30,000; as of September 2026 there is no list price, no order page and no official date from Tesla. 1X NEO, on the other hand, can be reserved: $20,000 one-off or $499 a month, with a refundable $200 deposit, deliveries in the United States "from 2026" and in other markets from 2027. No delivery to customers had been verified as of mid-August 2026. In Italy, today, the only humanoids with a shopping cart are the Unitree G1 and R1.

In brief: stated dates and prices, by whom and when (table with source and date)

RobotStated priceStated dateWho said it and whenStatus as of 18 Sep 2026
1X NEO$20,000 or $499 a month, $200 depositUSA from 2026, other markets from 20271X, order page (since 28 Oct 2025)Pre-orders open; deliveries not verified
Tesla Optimus$20,000–30,000 "at scale"Sales to the public "by the end of 2027"Musk, World Economic Forum in Davos (Entrepreneur, 26 Jan 2026)No list price or ordering; robots only in Tesla factories
Unitree G1$13,500 (about €12,400)On saleOfficial Unitree storeCan be bought; in the EU from €27,000 incl. VAT
Unitree R1$5,900 (about €5,430); Air $4,900On saleOfficial Unitree storeCan be bought; in the EU only the EDU from €18,000

Euro prices: dollar list price × 0.92, without VAT, duties and shipping. Sources and access dates at the end.

1X NEO: $20,000 or $499 a month with a $200 deposit, US deliveries from 2026, other markets from 2027

1X's order page offers two options. Early Access: $20,000, ownership of the robot with a 3-year warranty, priority delivery and premium support. Subscription: $499 a month with a "starter productivity package", shipped later. In both cases you pay a $200 deposit today, described as fully refundable. In the box: charger, lint roller and case. The minimum subscription term is not published on the order page (n/a).

Two useful sums. $499 a month is $5,988 a year: in about 40 months you reach the purchase price. And the "17 thousand euros" quoted by the Italian press in October 2025 is the $20,000 converted at the exchange rate of the time: at the rate used by Robolero (0.92) it comes to €18,400, before VAT and duties.

On timing, 1X wrote on 30 April 2026 that its Hayward (California) factory can produce up to 10,000 NEOs a year, with a target of over 100,000 by the end of 2027; that the first 10,000 pre-orders sold out in five days; and that the units produced so far are going to the internal team for testing: "some will receive their NEO this year, others later". The main limitation, shown by the Wall Street Journal as early as October 2025: for chores it doesn't know, NEO is driven by a remote human operator (we cover it in the guide to humanoid robots for the home).

Tesla Optimus: what Musk said at Davos (January 2026), $20,000–30,000 "by the end of 2027", and what is verified today

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, in January 2026, Musk said Tesla plans to make Optimus available to the public by the end of 2027, at a price between $20,000 and $30,000, and that production will start slowly because "almost everything is new": parts and processes never made before. On 14 September 2026 the Motley Fool summed it up this way: Tesla "could begin shipping the first commercial Optimus units by 2027", while analysts expect 100,000–500,000 units that year "mainly for Tesla's factories and pilot programmes, not for commercial customers".

What is verified today, 18 September 2026:

Anyone searching for the Tesla Optimus price finds a stated figure and no verifiable one: on Robolero, Optimus stays "not for sale" until Tesla publishes a list price and a sales channel.

What "pre-order" means: what you risk with a deposit, refunds, timing

A pre-order is a reservation, not a delivery contract with a fixed date. Before paying a deposit, four checks:

  1. The refund. 1X writes that the $200 is fully refundable: keep the confirmation and the page with that sentence. If the terms change, what you accepted is what counts.
  2. The final price. A launch price can disappear: the Booster K1 was announced at $4,999 in October 2025, today the manufacturer sells on request and in Europe it costs €9,000 incl. VAT. A deposit usually does not lock the price: check whether it does.
  3. The date. "From 2026" is not a date. 1X has said some customers will receive the robot in 2026 and others later, and that the first units go to the internal team. No external delivery had been verified by third-party sources as of mid-August 2026.
  4. The market. NEO is ordered for the United States; for other countries 1X talks about 2027 with no details. A deposit from an Italian address does not guarantee delivery in Italy.

A deposit is a credit towards a company: pay only what you are prepared to wait a long time for.

What they would cost in Italy: VAT, duties, service and CE compliance (Robolero calculator)

Neither can be bought in Italy today, but the sum can be done with the import rules: duty of 1.7% (customs heading 8479.50, the most used for robots) on price and shipping, then VAT at 22% on price, shipping and duty. It is the same estimate as the Robolero calculator, shipping excluded because it is not published (n/a).

RobotStated list priceIn euros (× 0.92)Duty 1.7%VAT 22%Estimated total
1X NEO$20,000€18,400€313€4,117~€22,830
Tesla Optimus (minimum target)$20,000€18,400€313€4,117~€22,830
Tesla Optimus (maximum target)$30,000€27,600€469€6,175~€34,240

Indicative estimate: the customs heading is not settled, the exchange rate moves and the shipping of a 30–57 kg parcel has to be added. The price, though, is not the main problem:

The alternatives you can buy today: Unitree G1 and R1, with their limits

ModelList priceIn Europe (incl. VAT)Height / weightBattery lifeMain limit
Unitree G1$13,500 (about €12,400); Pro $21,500from €27,000 (Generation Robots)1.32 m / ~35 kg~2 hNo hands as standard; only the EDU is programmable
Unitree R1$5,900 (about €5,430); Air $4,900; EDU $10,500EDU only, from €18,000 (Generation Robots)1.23 m / ~29 kg~1 hNo hands; only the EDU is programmable

They are robots for development, research and content, with resellers in Italy (Eagle Robots) and Europe and a warranty of 8 months (G1) or 6–8 (R1). They don't do chores: the official G1 page asks you to "keep a sufficient safe distance" from people. They do not replace NEO or Optimus at home; for programming a real humanoid they are the only choice with a public list price. Full comparison in the guide to humanoids for sale.

The history of the promises: how we will update this page

DateWhoWhat was statedHow it went
19 Aug 2021TeslaOptimus announced at AI DayPrototype shown in September 2022
Apr 2022MuskHope for a "production-ready" robot in 2023Did not happen
Jun 2024MuskLimited production in 2025, over 1,000 units inside Tesla; sales to other companies "possible" in 2026No external sales as of 18 Sep 2026
Oct 2024MuskSale price "around $30,000"No list price
26 Jan 2026Musk, DavosSales to the public by the end of 2027, $20,000–30,000To be verified
22 Apr 2026TeslaThird generation unveiled close to production; lines being installed in FremontTo be verified
28 Oct 20251XNEO pre-orders: USA 2026, other markets 2027Pre-orders open
30 Apr 20261XUp to 10,000 units a year; "some this year, others later"External deliveries not verified as of 17 Aug 2026

This page is updated like this: when one of the two manufacturers publishes a price, a date or a delivery, we add a row with date and source and change the date at the top of the guide. The old rows stay: the history is there to weigh the next promise.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Tesla Optimus cost? It has no price. Musk gives a target of $20,000–30,000 "at scale"; Tesla has published neither a list price nor an order page (18 Sep 2026).

When is Tesla Optimus coming out? At Davos (January 2026) Musk talked about sales to the public by the end of 2027. Tesla has given no official date; today the robots work only in its factories.

Can you pre-order 1X NEO from Italy? The order page is designed for the United States; for other markets 1X talks about 2027 with no details. A deposit does not guarantee delivery in Italy.

How much would NEO cost in Italy? About €22,830 with 1.7% duty and 22% VAT on the converted €18,400 list price, shipping excluded. It is an estimate, not a price.

What is the cheapest humanoid you can buy today? The Unitree R1 Air, $4,900 on the official store (about €4,500); in Europe resellers sell the EDU version from €18,000 incl. VAT.

Have a robot to sell, or want to know what your G1 or R1 is worth? Robolero estimates the used value in a minute: value your robot. In the marketplace you'll find the listings with the deal rating on each one.

Sources

Accessed on 18 September 2026.

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