Elon Musk has faced an unexpected obstacle in the development of his humanoid Tesla robots – a shortage of rare earth magnets from China. These components are critical for the production of motors that control the robots’ movements. China is a near-monopoly supplier of rare earths, and Beijing’s new export restrictions have severely affected global supply chains, CNBC reports.
The Optimus project, which is key to Musk’s vision of “replacing routine human labour with robots,” risks losing momentum precisely because of geopolitical dependence. Tesla is looking for alternative suppliers, particularly in the US and Australia, but it is almost impossible to replace Chinese resources quickly.
Analysts point out that the Tesla situation is another proof of how vulnerable the West is to critical components from China, which is already actively using the economy as a geopolitical tool.
