Tesla is now fully committed to its robot Optimus.
Elon Musk is pulling the plug on the icons of his electric car history. Production of the Model S and Model X will cease permanently at the end of the second quarter of 2026. The production lines at the Fremont, California, factory will then be completely rebuilt.
Where luxury sedans and gullwing models were previously produced, up to one million humanoid robots will roll off the assembly line in the future. Musk is thus sacrificing his historic flagship models in favour of the company’s AI vision. The sales figures already spoke volumes. In 2025, Tesla sold a meagre 50,850 units of its “other models,” which also include the Cybertruck. Factory utilization was likely less than a third of its capacity.
This radical change, however, carries massive risks. Musk’s promises regarding robotics have so far had little to do with reality. Two years ago, he announced that thousands of autonomously operating Optimus robots would be in operation by 2025. Now, during an investor call, he sheepishly admitted that no robot is currently performing “useful work” in the factories.
The project is still deep in the development phase. Earlier demonstrations, in which robots distributed water bottles, were often remotely controlled rather than autonomous. Nevertheless, Tesla plans to invest over $20 billion in 2026, primarily in robotaxis, the Optimus robot, and battery production.
The traditional car business is thus taking a back seat. Tesla argues that the future is autonomous and that space is needed for more efficient robotic manufacturing. Critics see this more as a preemptive move, especially since the US market is becoming more challenging for electric cars under Donald Trump.
Whether the Optimus Gen 3, scheduled for its unveiling in the first quarter, will bring about a turnaround remains to be seen. Previous reports from the supply chain suggest chaos and delays.
0 Response to "Tesla is now fully committed to its robot Optimus."
Post a Comment