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Tesla has formally retired its decade-plus Model S and Model X lines after delivering a 350-car Signature finale, marking the end of an era and the start of a major industrial pivot. Executives say Fremont’s Model S/X line will be dismantled and retooled over several months to produce humanoid robots, with an initial annual target of one million units and plans for far larger capacity in Texas. The move underscores Tesla’s strategic shift from legacy luxury EVs toward large-scale robotics manufacturing, reshaping its factory footprint, product mix and ambitions in the AI-driven automation market.
Tesla's conversion of a legacy EV line to humanoid robot manufacturing signals a major shift in capital and workforce allocation and highlights how AI-driven hardware is moving into high-volume industrial production.
Dossier last updated: 2026-05-28 09:31:57
Tesla has begun construction on a dedicated Optimus humanoid robot factory at its Texas Gigafactory, with plans for up to 10 million robots per year. Aerial footage shows the first steel structure completed for the northern plant; the expansion will add about 520 million square feet (48.3 million m2) of industrial space and include projects like a Terafab AI chip wafer fab. Tesla paused Model S/X vehicle lines at Fremont to free space for initial Optimus production, with Fremont expected to produce first units by July or August and Texas targeted for mass production by summer 2027. The multibillion-dollar build underscores Tesla’s bet on robots as a core future product but faces manufacturing, AI reliability, and supply-chain challenges.
Tesla VP Tao Lin announced on Weibo that the Model S and Model X production line at the Fremont factory has delivered a signature edition and will soon be converted into a humanoid robot production line. The company plans to end Model S and Model X production in Q2 2026 after those flagship models — produced since 2012 — reach retirement. Tao framed the vehicles as milestones in Tesla’s broader plans, and the line conversion signals a shift in factory capacity from EV manufacturing toward robotics to support the company’s AI-era ambitions. This marks a strategic industrial pivot with implications for Tesla’s manufacturing footprint and product roadmap.
Tesla finished delivering the last batch of Model S and Model X vehicles from its Fremont factory, formally retiring the two flagship EV models. Fremont’s Model S/X line will be dismantled and rebuilt over four months to become a dedicated production line for Tesla humanoid robots, with an initial planned annual capacity of 1 million units; a second-generation line in Texas aims for capacity in the tens of millions. The pivot signals Tesla’s strategic shift from legacy luxury EVs to large-scale robotics manufacturing, highlighting aggressive production targets and substantial retooling of existing automotive facilities. This move could reshape Tesla’s product mix and manufacturing footprint in robotics and automation.
Tesla held a delivery event at its Fremont factory on May 21 to hand over the final Signature limited editions of the Model S and Model X as the company confirms ending production of both flagship lines at the close of Q2 2026. The run totaled 350 Plaid cars—250 Model S and 100 Model X—sold by invitation rather than open order. The final Model S (250/250) went to investor Steve Jurvetson, who also received the first-ever Model S in 2012. Signature Edition details include Garnet Red paint, gold Tesla and Plaid badging, carbon-ceramic brakes on the S, 22-inch Machina wheels and six-seat layout on the X, Alcantara interiors with gold stitching, and commemorative hardware aimed at collectors. This marks the end of two decade-long flagship lines.