Engadget News + Next Tesla killing off its Model S and X cars to make robots, Mark Zuckerberg says Reality Labs will (eventually) stop losing so much money, and Patreon creators have to switch to subscription billing by November
Jan 29, 2026
Tesla plans to pause Model S and X production to repurpose the factory for humanoid robot manufacturing. Discussion covers why Model 3 and Y outsold the pricier models and skepticism about Optimus timelines. Meta says Reality Labs losses should ease as it shifts from big VR bets to AI-linked glasses and wearables. Patreon must move creators to subscription billing because of an Apple policy change.
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Tesla Repurposes Car Lines For Robots
- Tesla will largely stop making the Model S and X to free up Fremont capacity for Optimus robots.
- Elon Musk aims to scale to one million robots from that space and sell Optimus to the public next year.
Model 3/Y Overtook Tesla's Flagships
- The Model 3 and Y now dominate Tesla's sales while S and X deliveries have declined.
- Musk has repeatedly hyped Optimus but demos and timelines have underdelivered so far.
Tesla's Investments Fuel Shareholder Tensions
- Tesla invested $2 billion in Musk's other company, XAI, and faced shareholder pushback.
- Shareholders sued over XAI and later approved a massive pay package tied to extreme market targets.