Tesla dismantles Model S/X line in 46 days for Optimus

Tesla released a time-lapse video Thursday showing its Fremont factory's Model S/X assembly line fully dismantled in 46 days.finance.yahoo+1
The cleared space will house Optimus humanoid robot production lines, with limited output expected to begin in late July or August, according to the company.tradingview+1
CEO Elon Musk has cautioned that early production will be "extremely slow," noting the robot's roughly 10,000 unique parts make output hard to predict.teslarati

Tesla released a time-lapse video on Thursday showing the complete decommissioning of its original Model S and Model X assembly line at the Fremont, California factory, a process the company completed in just 46 days. The footage, posted on X by the Tesla Manufacturing account, shows heavy machinery dismantling concrete pits, removing robotic arms and conveyors, and workers installing rebar for the facility's next chapter: production of the Optimus humanoid robot.finance.yahoo+2

From Flagship Sedans to Humanoid Robots

The teardown marks the physical end of an era that began more than a decade ago when the Model S first rolled off the line in 2012. CEO Elon Musk announced during the company's Q4 2025 earnings call in January that Tesla would discontinue the Model S and Model X and repurpose the Fremont space for Optimus production. The last vehicles came off the line in May, with Tesla hosting a farewell event on May 12.assemblymag+3

According to Tesla's Q1 2026 earnings commentary, limited Optimus production is slated to begin at the converted Fremont facility in late July or August 2026. The initial line is designed to produce first-generation Optimus units, though Musk has cautioned that early output will be slow. "Optimus production will be extremely slow at first, as everything is new. This is not like making a car," Musk wrote on X on July 1.electrek+2

Scaling Ambitions and Reality Checks

Tesla's long-term ambitions for Optimus are vast. Musk has discussed targets of up to one million units from the Fremont line, with a larger dedicated factory under construction at Giga Texas that aims to begin higher-volume production around summer 2027. The robot features roughly 10,000 unique parts, and Musk has described early production rates as "literally impossible to predict."youtube+2

The conversion comes amid a broader period of momentum for Tesla, which reported 480,126 vehicle deliveries in the second quarter of 2026, a 25 percent year-over-year increase that exceeded Wall Street estimates. Whether the company can translate its manufacturing expertise from electric vehicles to humanoid robots at scale remains the central question facing investors as the Optimus line prepares to come online.teslarati

Sources (37)