In this image provided by Tesla, an Optimus humanoid robot is seen serving at a party. “It’s an incredibly capable robot,” CEO Elon Musk promised investors this week. Later, he said the next-generation Optimus 4 will be built at Gigafactory Texas near Austin.
Tesla Inc.
Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk announced plans this week to sunset the Model S and X at a California plant to pave the way for production of its new Optimus 3 robot. But Texas will also play a key role in production of the company’s humanoids.
The next generation of Optimus robots will be built at Gigafactory Texas in Austin.
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“Optimus 4 will be built in Texas at much higher volume,” Musk posted on X in response to a user expressing surprise the Austin automaker’s Fremont, Calif., factory had been selected for the Optimus 3 line.
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Musk’s production goals include “a million units a year” from the California factory.
Optimus is seen wearing a “belt buckle” with a Texas lone star in this image provided by Tesla. CEO Elon Musk says the next-generation Optimus 4 will be built on a line at Gigafactory Texas near Austin.
Tesla Inc.
“We’ll probably unveil Optimus 3 in a few months, and I think it’s going to be quite surprising to people,” Musk told investors Wednesday. “It’s an incredibly capable robot.”
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Tooling for production of the next-generation Optimus 4 could begin soon at Gigafactory Texas. Musk has previously said he hopes to start production of that model in 2027.
In a statement, the city of Fremont said it was “delighted” Tesla chose the local factory for Optimus and said it would also remain the site of the automaker’s highest-output North American vehicle factory. In addition to Optimus, Tesla will continue production of the refreshed Model 3 and Model Y at Fremont, and could gain production of future models as well.
“Tesla is retooling a portion of the Fremont campus for Optimus robot production and they have stated that this retooling will not result in job losses, but that Fremont headcount may increase,” the city said. “Fremont was selected as Tesla’s Optimus hub due to the city’s proven ability to support large-scale, complex manufacturing operations, its highly skilled workforce and a business-friendly and responsive city administration.”
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Tesla earlier hinted that the Fremont site is critical to Optimus, noting in November the robot’s pilot production line was running there.
Tesla’s pivot to a new Optimus line arrives as Model S and X accounted for approximately 3% of Tesla’s global production in 2025. The models hold significance in Tesla’s rise as a leading—though no longer the largest—EV maker in the world. Following the Tesla Roadster, the Model S made its debut in 2012 with a 200-mile range and luxury feel. And by the first quarter of 2013, sales of the vehicle helped Tesla earn its first quarterly profit. The Model X followed in 2015 as the automaker’s first SUV.
Musk appeared sentimental upon the announcement that Tesla would wind down production of the vehicles. “I guess I have…it’s not exactly bad news, but it’s time to bring the Model S and X programs to an end with an honorable discharge, because we’re really moving into a future that is based on autonomy,” Musk told investors on Wednesday.
Musk also assured customers that Tesla will continue to support owners of the S and X vehicle models. Though EVs often require less frequent maintenance than conventional vehicles, Tesla provides vehicle owners with regular over-the-air software updates.
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Looking ahead to Tesla’s autonomous future, the company plans to unveil Optimus 3 in the first quarter of 2026. Currently, Tesla says its robot can perform tasks that are “unsafe, repetitive or boring.” That includes chores such as picking up trash, vacuuming, or stirring a pot of food, though the robot has also been seen jogging and dancing. The company boasts that the new robot will have major upgrades, including a new hand design.
To lay the groundwork for its first robot meant for mass production, Tesla still needs people. The Fremont factory reportedly has a headcount of 30,000, with several openings for the manufacturing and assembly of Optimus. Other preparations such as supply chain readiness are also underway.
Meanwhile, Austin’s factory had about 22,000 employees as of last year. Locally, Tesla has only a handful of openings for Optimus, but the postings indicate the company’s ambitions in Texas. The Optimus jobs ask for talent who can develop new highly automated manufacturing lines from concept to production.
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