The Model S and Model X production line at Tesla’s Fremont factory has been dismantled in just 46 days as the company prepares the space for a new chapter focused on humanoid robots.
Fremont, California, 8 September 2026 – Tesla has closed an important chapter in its electric vehicle story. The company has dismantled the original assembly line used to build the Model S and Model X at its Fremont factory in California, completing the teardown in just 46 days.
The rapid transformation marks a major change for a production area that played an important role in Tesla’s rise as an electric vehicle manufacturer. The Model S helped establish Tesla as a serious player in the premium EV market, while the Model X expanded the company’s reach into the luxury SUV segment.
Now, the factory floor is being prepared for something very different: humanoid robots.
Tesla released a time-lapse showing the dismantling process, including the removal of robotic equipment, conveyors, and concrete structures from the old production area. The speed of the work highlights how quickly the company is repurposing existing manufacturing space for its next project.
The Model S entered production in 2012 and became one of the vehicles that helped change public perceptions of electric cars. The Model X followed several years later, bringing Tesla’s electric technology into the premium SUV market. Both models became closely associated with the company’s early growth and technological image.
However, production of the two vehicles was brought to an end during 2026. The decision opened valuable factory space that Tesla can now use for another part of its business strategy.
That new focus is Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot project.
The company has been developing Optimus as a general-purpose robot designed to perform repetitive and potentially dangerous tasks. Tesla has discussed using the robots in its own manufacturing operations before expanding their use to other industries and, eventually, consumers.
The conversion of the Fremont space suggests that Tesla wants to use its experience in large-scale manufacturing beyond electric vehicles. Instead of building another car assembly line, the company is preparing the facility for a different type of production.
According to reporting surrounding the teardown, Tesla is targeting substantial production capacity for Optimus at Fremont. However, the one million units per year figure is a long-term target rather than a current production level. The actual pace of production will depend on the development of the robot, its components, and the manufacturing systems needed to produce it at scale.
Building humanoid robots presents challenges that are different from producing cars. Robots require specialised actuators, sensors, electronics, software and mechanical components. Tesla will therefore need to develop new manufacturing processes while maintaining the speed and efficiency expected from a large-scale production operation.
The factory transformation also demonstrates the value of flexible manufacturing facilities. Instead of constructing an entirely new building, Tesla is adapting an existing industrial site to support a new product category.
For the automotive industry, the move is particularly interesting because it shows how traditional vehicle manufacturing expertise could potentially be applied to robotics. Tesla already has experience with automation, batteries, electric motors, artificial intelligence, and large-scale production. The company is now attempting to combine these capabilities in a new field.
Still, the transition is not without uncertainty. Turning a production floor into a robot manufacturing operation is only the first step. Tesla will need to demonstrate that Optimus can be produced reliably, economically, and in large numbers before the project can reach its full potential.
For the Model S and Model X, meanwhile, the dismantling of their production line represents the physical end of an important period in Tesla’s history. The same factory space that once produced flagship electric vehicles is now being prepared for machines that could eventually work alongside humans.
The change at Fremont therefore represents more than a factory renovation. It reflects the rapidly changing boundaries between electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, automation and robotics.
Tesla’s next manufacturing challenge may no longer be about how many cars it can build. It may be about whether it can turn its vision for humanoid robots into a commercially viable product at massive scale.
