Tesla to Shift EV Production at California Plant
Tesla is retooling its EV factory in Fremont, CA, to produce humanoid robots. Photo courtesy Tesla Inc.
FREMONT, CA—Tesla Inc. plans to stop making some popular electric vehicles at its flagship factory here. It will end production of the Model S sedan and the Model X sport utility vehicle, which are the automaker’s oldest models.
The Model S has been produced since 2012, while the Model X dates back to 2015. However, other Tesla vehicles, such as the Model 3 and Model Y, are also currently made in Fremont.
According to Elon Musk, the company's controversial CEO, Tesla is shifting production at the historic plant from EVs to robots and artificial intelligence technology. It plans to retool the massive facility and convert assembly lines from building cars to mass-producing humanoid robots. The long-term goal is to transition the company from a hardware-centric automaker to a “physical AI” company.
Tesla engineers have been developing a general-purpose robot called Optimus for several years. The company claims the humanoid will be “capable of performing unsafe, repetitive or boring tasks” in both manufacturing and household environments.
Tesla acquired the 5.3-million-square-foot Fremont facility in 2010. It originally was the home of New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI), a joint-venture between General Motors and Toyota Motor Corp. created in the early 1980s. At the time, the 20-year-old GM plant, which previously made Buick sedans, was revamped according to the Toyota Production System.
The NUMMI plant pioneered continuous improvement and lean manufacturing principles in the U.S. auto industry. The first automobile, a Chevy Nova, rolled off the line in December 1984. Assemblers began building the Toyota Corolla in September 1986.
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