Tesla’s conversion of part of Fremont from vehicle production to humanoid robot manufacturing is beginning to take shape. On Wednesday Elon Musk shared a photo from inside the Fremont factory, standing alongside the Optimus team after walking the new production line.
Tesla officially ended production of the Model S and Model X in Q2 2026, with the final vehicles leaving the assembly line in early May. Since then, the company has been reconfiguring portions of the former S/X production area to support early Optimus manufacturing activities.
While Tesla ultimately hopes to reach production volumes of up to one million Optimus units per year at Fremont, the company remains in the early stages of building and validating its manufacturing processes. Initial output is expected to be relatively low as equipment is installed, production methods are refined, and the line gradually ramps toward higher volumes.
During Tesla’s Q1 earnings call, CEO Elon Musk said Optimus production was expected to begin in late July or August, making his recent appearance alongside the Fremont team consistent with the timeline the company previously outlined.
The production setup is also expected to differ significantly from a traditional automotive assembly line. Rather than relying on a single linear production system, Tesla has said Optimus manufacturing will use a modular approach consisting of multiple sub-assembly lines. Much of the process is expected to be highly automated, with Tesla developing manufacturing systems that can themselves be scaled as production increases.
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