Tesla ends Model S and Model X to build Optimus humanoid robots

Tesla is ending production of the Model S sedan and Model X SUV to free factory space to build its Optimus humanoid robots, the article says; Tesla claims the robots will go on sale in 2027 and Elon Musk has claimed they will sell in the billions and add up to $20 trillion to Tesla’s market capitalization in the future.

The piece says that even robotaxis have lost some of their shine and that, for Musk, the real focus now is on the humanoid robot business, which Tesla says requires factory capacity for mass production. The article recalls that the Model S was revolutionary when introduced: built from scratch as an EV, it offered about 265 miles (426 km) of range on a full charge, strong straight-line performance, and an infotainment system that made competitors seem dated; Ars wrote it was impressed when it tested a Model S in 2013.

Over the years the Model S received more power, more advanced driver assists and a cosmetic facelift, but the article says rivals such as the Porsche Taycan and Lucid Air responded while the Model S stagnated rather than being replaced. The Model X, the article adds, had a lengthy and troubled development, with the falcon-wing doors proving particularly problematic—and the author recalls being struck by one at a first introduction—but still stood out among SUVs in 2016.

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