LG Energy Solution Enters Humanoid Robot Battery Market, Poised to Supply Tesla Optimus
Alina Collins
LG Energy Solution has secured battery certification from Figure AI, Boston Dynamics, and Unitree Robotics, and is preparing to supply Tesla's Optimus — the humanoid-robot battery supply chain is shifting from concept to commercial negotiation.
Who just gave LG Energy Solution the green light?
LG Energy Solution recently earned product certification from Figure AI, Boston Dynamics, and Unitree Robotics. This means → its cells have cleared performance, safety, and lifespan requirements; the talks now are about pricing, volume, and delivery schedules.
Korean media report that LG is also in supply discussions with several Chinese robotics firms beyond those three.
In plain terms = certification is passing the exam; the contract negotiation is what comes next — LG just passed and is now at the table.
Is the Tesla Optimus battery plan locked in?
LG plans to supply Optimus with 2170 cylindrical cells — the same format already used in Tesla's Model Y Long Range. This means → Tesla can share a single cell spec across cars and robots, avoiding extra development cost.
Optimus is expected to enter mass production in H2 2026, with supply volumes scaling to tens of thousands of units from 2027.
Boston Dynamics' Atlas robot is reported to carry two battery modules, swapping them at a charging station when depleted. This reflects ongoing upward pressure on battery-capacity requirements as humanoid designs mature.
Why does China's LFP strength become a weakness in robots?
LFP batteries — lithium iron phosphate, a low-cost but lower-energy-density chemistry — dominate EVs on cost advantage, but a humanoid robot's battery space is limited to the back and chest, under 10% of body volume.
In plain terms = an EV has a wide floor to pack heavy cells; a robot's "body" is compact and needs more energy per kilogram. LFP cannot deliver that. Even high-end LFP struggles to sustain more than one hour of operation.
NCM cells — nickel-cobalt-manganese, storing more energy at the same weight — are therefore more attractive for robots. This is one reason Unitree and other Chinese robotics firms are turning to LG Energy Solution rather than defaulting to domestic Chinese cell makers.
How big is this market really?
Morgan Stanley projects the global humanoid-robot market will exceed KRW 1,800 trillion (roughly $1.2 trillion) by 2040.
If batteries account for 5–10% of total robot cost, the incremental battery market is roughly KRW 100 trillion.
This means → humanoid-robot batteries are not an accessory — they are a hundreds-of-billions-dollar standalone segment.
What else is the Korean supply chain doing in robotics?
LG Electronics has set up a robotics business center reporting directly to the CEO, consolidating business development, sales, supply chain, and production management — a signal that the strategy is shifting from R&D to commercialization.
Hyundai Motor Group is accelerating Atlas manufacturing applications and capacity through Boston Dynamics; Hyundai Mobis is co-developing Atlas actuators — the precision drive components that move robot joints — extending automotive parts expertise into robotics.
This reflects a broader pattern: Korea's industrial chain is porting its automotive manufacturing precision and supply-chain discipline wholesale into the robotics track.
What is the real test for LG Energy Solution?
Whether humanoid-robot batteries become a genuine new growth pillar — offsetting Chinese LFP pressure in the EV market — hinges on one question: can NCM cells maintain their cost-and-performance lead through the mass-production phase of robotics?
Put simply = NCM wins today on energy density, but if Chinese makers push LFP cells lighter and smaller — or develop a new chemistry — that edge is not guaranteed to hold.
Certification is just the starting line. Unit economics at scale and sustained technical leadership are the finish line.
Content is for reference only, not financial advice.