Tesla engineers are reportedly in China inspecting component suppliers for their Optimus humanoid robot. This move comes as Elon Musk appears to be accelerating toward commercializing the robot. The engineers visited Ningbo, a key manufacturing hub, to audit factories producing parts for Optimus. This activity is seen as a positive sign for China's robotics supply chain and potential progress towards mass production. Tesla is reportedly aiming for commercial sales of Optimus to begin in the second half of 2027. Production, however, is expected to start earlier, with training data collection anticipated this year. News of these supplier audits caused a slight increase in the Solactive China Humanoid Robotics Index. The broader market interest in physical AI and humanoid robots has seen significant analyst upgrades regarding future shipment projections. Goldman Sachs notably raised its global humanoid robot delivery estimates for the coming years. The trend suggests a rapid adoption curve for humanoids is on the horizon.