Tesla lays off Model S and Model X to manufacture robots

In 2012, an then unknown Elon Musk challenged the automotive giants with the presentation of the Model S, a sporty electric sedan that aimed to become a breath of fresh air in a world where diesel and gasoline cars seemed to be the undisputed kings of the market. More than one must have taken it as a joke. Fourteen years later, the automotive world has changed a lot, and an important part of the shift has been, it must be acknowledged, the deafening success of the Model S and its twin brother in SUV format, the Tesla Model X.The case of the Model S and Model X are a true rara avis in a changing world, as the same platform or automotive base has been in use for fourteen long years in a unique and worthy-of-study case. And it is that during all these years Tesla has grown and gained fame and popularity on all five continents in a dazzling way, forcing conventional manufacturers to follow in its footsteps to avoid being left out of the game. However, recent years have been more full of shadows due to political adventures and Elon Musk's controversial statements, which have significantly lowered the brand's transgressive, ecological, and innovative image.The Model S and Model X have been manufactured at the Fremont plant (on the outskirts of San Jose, in the state of California) for the last fourteen years. This is a factory that began producing the Model S in 2012 with only about 1,000 employees on staff and has grown with new production lines and models to reach 22,000 employees today and far exceed half a million units manufactured each year. The recipe for keeping the two cars fresh and relevant on a commercial scale without suffering excessive wear in global sales has been to fill them with technological innovations, such as remote updates, the use of Grok (the proprietary AI system of Tesla and Elon Musk's other companies), and the Plaid versions with over 1,000 conventional HP.

Tesla will bid farewell to the Model S and Model X through the grand entrance, as this week it announced the latest limited series of both models, called Signature Series, of which it will only manufacture 350 numbered units with a certification plate, and which it has put on sale via email to a select and small circle of clients. This latest series is distinguished by various red paint details on the bodywork and gold details on the interior, and the units reserved for the Model X will only feature the six-seater configuration. 

From manufacturing cars to manufacturing robots

The future of Tesla's plant in Fremont is secured, but more Model S and Model X will no longer be manufactured there. This is because Elon Musk's plans for this factory now involve producing a humanoid robot called Optimus, which is intended to be able to develop dangerous or boring tasks, such as cooking, cleaning the house, or ironing clothes, among others. Tesla plans to start marketing its robot in 2027, at an access price of around $25,000, and its artificial intelligence system will be designed by xAI, Musk's start-up that has already developed the Grok chatbot.