Tesla to repurpose Fremont factory for new production after Model S line ends

Tesla has already said what is taking over the space at Fremont after the end of Model S and Model X production: Optimus. In its first-quarter 2026 shareholder update published April 22, the company said its “first-generation line, designed for 1 million robots a year, will replace the Model S and Model X lines in Fremont.” May 9 was the date the final Model S and Model X units rolled off the line at Fremont, according to Tesla posts cited by multiple industry reports. Tesla has not issued a standalone press release on the end of those two vehicle programs at Fremont, but the company had already flagged the change in its investor materials and local officials had described the factory’s next use months earlier. (assets-ir.tesla.com) January 28 is when the City of Fremont publicly said Tesla had chosen the Fremont factory for its new Optimus manufacturing line. The city said Tesla was “sunsetting the Model S and Model X lines,” while continuing mass production of the refreshed Model 3 and Model Y in Fremont, along with “the new Optimus robot and potential future vehicle programs.” ### What is Tesla actually putting into the former Model S and Model X space? (evxl.co) Tesla’s April 22 shareholder deck gave the clearest answer: a first-generation Optimus production line. The company said that line is designed for annual capacity of 1 million robots, and that Gigafactory Texas is being prepared for a second-generation line designed for long-term annual capacity of 10 million robots. (fremont.gov) Fremont officials added a narrower description on January 28, saying Tesla was “retooling a portion of the Fremont campus for Optimus robot production.” The city also said Fremont had been selected because of its manufacturing base, skilled workforce and local government support. ### Did Tesla say Fremont is stopping vehicle production? The City of Fremont said reports that Tesla was ending vehicle production at the site were inaccurate. (assets-ir.tesla.com) The city said Model 3 and Model Y mass production would continue in Fremont even as the company wound down the older flagship lines. Tesla’s own Fremont factory page, viewed May 14, still described the site as a hub for Model S, Model 3, Model X and Model Y production. (fremont.gov) That page had not yet been updated to reflect the end of Model S and Model X assembly. ### What do the official documents say about jobs? The City of Fremont said Tesla had stated the retooling “will not result in job losses,” and that factory headcount “may increase.” That is the most direct public statement available from an official source on employment effects tied to the Fremont change. (fremont.gov) California’s WARN guidance requires 60 days’ notice for covered mass layoffs, plant closures or relocations. (tesla.com) A general WARN rules page and the state’s current WARN report were publicly available, but the materials reviewed here did not independently confirm a Tesla Fremont notice tied to the Model S and Model X line change. ### How big was the Model S and Model X business by early 2026? (fremont.gov) Tesla reported 13,775 vehicles in its “other models” production category in the first quarter of 2026, versus 394,611 for Model 3 and Model Y. The company delivered 16,130 vehicles in the “other models” category during the quarter. Tesla groups Cybertruck, Model S and Model X in that bucket, so the filing does not isolate Fremont flagship volumes by model. (edd.ca.gov) Fremont officials said Model 3 and Model Y represented “the vast majority” of the factory’s manufacturing activity. They also said Tesla expected to maintain current vehicle throughput at Fremont through production-line improvements and operational efficiencies. ### What should readers watch next? Tesla’s investor relations site is the next place to watch for a formal update on Fremont output, headcount or capital spending tied to the repurposed line. (marketscreener.com) The company posts quarterly results and SEC filings there, including the April 22 first-quarter update that disclosed the Optimus plan. Fremont’s city website is also likely to publish any further local statements about permits, expansion or hiring tied to the Optimus line. (fremont.gov) As of May 14, the city’s January 28 statement remained the clearest official local description of what comes after Model S and Model X at the factory. (ir.tesla.com)