Atlas 2026 production fully committed as LG Energy locks in robot battery deals

Boston Dynamics has disclosed that its new electric Atlas humanoid robot features "almost an order of magnitude reduction in complexity" compared to its predecessor, a design philosophy aimed squarely at mass manufacturing and lower costs. Simultaneously, LG Energy Solution has secured battery supply contracts with the three largest U.S. humanoid robotics developers — Boston Dynamics, Tesla ↗ 2.05%, and Figure AI — in a move that underscores growing industry confidence in commercial-scale humanoid deployment.

A Robot Built for the Factory Floor

In a conversation published this week, Alberto Rodriguez, Boston Dynamics' director of robot behavior, explained the engineering rationale behind Atlas's redesign. "It has way, way fewer parts and way fewer unique parts," Rodriguez said. "The manufacturing process is much faster and simpler, which leads to higher reliability and lower cost."johnkoetsier

The company has priced the robot below the cost of employing two U.S. manufacturing workers for two years — roughly $320,000 in salary and benefits. Hyundai, which owns Boston Dynamics, has announced plans for a dedicated robotics factory capable of producing 30,000 Atlas units per year by 2028, at which point analysts expect per-unit costs to fall further.robozaps+2

All 2026 Atlas production is already fully committed, with fleets shipping to Hyundai's Robotics Metaplant Application Center and Google DeepMind Alphabet Inc. ↗ 0.87%.bostondynamics

LG Energy Solution Powers the Humanoid Push

According to a report by The Korea Economic Daily on July 2, LG Energy Solution has secured supply contracts with the top three U.S. humanoid robot makers: Tesla, Boston Dynamics, and Figure AI. The company is also reportedly in supply discussions with China's Unitree Robotics.finance.biggo+1

LG Energy Solution has supplied 46-series cylindrical ternary battery cells for Atlas since its early development and previously powered Boston Dynamics' quadruped robot Spot. The company says it now supplies cylindrical batteries to more than six major global robotics companies.battery-tech+2

A Race Toward Commercial Scale

The battery deals reflect an industry rapidly moving from prototype to production. Goldman Sachs projects the humanoid robot market will grow from 100,000 units in 2026 to 1.53 million units by 2030. For LG Energy Solution, the contracts represent a strategic pivot toward what it calls becoming an "energy platform company" extending beyond electric vehicles into AI, robotics, and drones.dbr.donga+1

Rodriguez emphasized that Atlas's hardware capabilities still outpace its AI control systems. "The AI capabilities and the control algorithms are still one of the main bottlenecks in getting value out of the hardware," he said.johnkoetsier