Tesla Redirects Its Flagship Lines Toward Optimus Robotics

Model S and Model X production gives way to humanoid robot mass manufacturing in Fremont.

Tesla is formally discontinuing its longest-running vehicle programs, the Tesla Model S and Tesla Model X, to facilitate the development of the next generation of humanoid robotics. According to The Verge, CEO Elon Musk declared at the company's latest earnings report that the flagship sedan and SUV will be granted a "honourable discharge" when the Fremont, California facility shifts its manufacturing lines to prioritise the Optimus robot. This change signifies a crucial inflection moment for the company, transitioning from premium electric vehicles that initially secured its market supremacy towards AI-driven hardware and autonomous technologies.

The decision arises from a consistent fall in sales of the ageing flagship models, which now represent less than three percent of the company's entire delivery volume. Although the Model S transformed the electric sedan industry with its 2012 introduction and the Model X introduced falcon-wing doors to the luxury SUV category in 2015, the firm has since concentrated on high-volume models such as the Model 3 and Model Y.

Tesla intends to repurpose the Fremont facility to achieve an annual manufacturing capacity of one million Optimus units. Leadership characterises the action not as a market withdrawal, but as an essential reallocation of resources to foster a future centred on autonomy. As the production of these older vehicles concludes, the business has pledged to offer enduring service and parts support for current owners. This transition indicates Tesla's transformation from a conventional automaker into a specialised robotics and AI company. The last production units of the Model S and Model X are anticipated to be completed by the end of June 2026.