Tesla Motors (TSLA) recently released a video showcasing the dismantling of the former Model S and Model X production lines at its Fremont Factory in Northern California.
The entire demolition process was completed in just 46 days, employing numerous heavy machines to remove concrete foundations, robotic arms, and conveyor systems, thereby clearing space for new manufacturing setups.
In the video's caption, Tesla described the event as "End of an era."
This signifies not only the formal conclusion of the Model S and Model X production era but also marks Tesla's full pivot towards its next major venture: the Optimus humanoid robot.
The decision to cease production of these models was initially announced during the Q4 2025 earnings call in late January 2026. At that time, CEO Elon Musk stated that the two flagship vehicles would end production by the close of Q2 2026, characterizing the move as granting them an "honorable discharge."
Custom orders for the models stopped in early April 2026, with the final vehicles rolling off the assembly line in early May. A special signature delivery ceremony was held on May 20th to officially conclude the lifecycle of these vehicles.
Since the Model S launch in 2012, the Model S and the subsequently introduced Model X have represented Tesla's luxury electric vehicle lineup and laid the foundation for the company's early growth.
The primary reason for removing this production line is to repurpose the valuable factory space into a manufacturing base for the Optimus humanoid robot.
Musk had previously indicated on an earnings call that the former Model S/X line at the Fremont plant would be replaced by a new line dedicated to producing Optimus, with a target annual capacity of up to one million units.
This shift reflects a change in Tesla's strategic focus. The company is gradually transitioning from a traditional automaker to a robotics and artificial intelligence enterprise, leveraging its accumulated technological strengths in autonomous driving, AI neural network training, and large-scale manufacturing.
Optimus is a general-purpose humanoid robot developed by Tesla, designed to undertake repetitive and high-risk tasks in settings such as factories, warehouses, and future homes.
The robot relies on Tesla's proprietary AI and neural network technologies, with the aim of creating a platform that combines versatility with cost-effectiveness.
Currently, the third-generation Optimus (Optimus Gen3) has begun low-volume production at the Fremont Factory. Mass production utilizing the newly reconfigured line is anticipated to commence by late July or August of this year.
Tesla aims for Optimus to achieve scale rapidly. According to internal targets, annual production could reach tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of units, by the end of 2026.
Looking further ahead, Tesla is constructing a larger, second-generation Optimus factory at its Gigafactory Texas. In the future, this facility's annual capacity is expected to reach several million units.
Tesla believes Optimus will be a transformative new product. In the future, its business scale and commercial value could potentially surpass the company's automotive business and drive the widespread adoption of robots across various industries. Musk has even predicted that Optimus could become "the most popular product ever."
With the dismantling of the Model S and Model X lines at the Fremont Factory, an era defined by Tesla's luxury electric vehicles has officially drawn to a close, while a new era for the Optimus humanoid robot is rapidly beginning.
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