Tesla’s Optimus Factory Nears a Steel-Frame Milestone in Texas

Key Takeaways

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• Tesla’s Optimus factory at Giga Texas is approaching completion of its main steel frame, according to drone observer Joe Tegtmeyer’s September 17 update.
• Concrete work is progressing on three upper floors while foundation work continues elsewhere on the site.
• Tesla’s latest quarterly disclosure lists both Texas and California Optimus facilities as under construction; the new update does not establish a production start date.

Tesla’s dedicated Optimus factory at Giga Texas is taking shape, with its steel structure nearing the building’s northern edge, according to a new drone update from longtime site observer Joe Tegtmeyer.

In his September 17 post, Tegtmeyer puts steel assembly roughly five column grids short of the north perimeter beam. He also reports concrete being poured on three upper floors, further reinforcing steel being laid, and continued footing and grade-beam work at the southern end.

The update, covered by Teslarati, provides a concrete sign of progress on the building intended to support Tesla’s humanoid manufacturing ambitions. A nearly complete structural frame, however, leaves substantial work before a factory can produce robots.

A building milestone, with production still ahead

The work described by Tegtmeyer shows multiple construction stages proceeding at once: structural assembly in one area, floor pours in another and foundations elsewhere. It does not demonstrate that assembly equipment has been installed, commissioned or tested at production speed.

Tegtmeyer describes the Texas project as intended for a line targeting 10 million robots annually, with initial limited production expected in late 2027. Those are his account of the planned scale and timing, rather than a new Tesla announcement. A long-term capacity target should not be read as a forecast for the number of robots produced in the first year.

That distinction matters because the secondary coverage gives a more aggressive timeline. Teslarati refers to summer 2027 high-volume production, whereas the underlying September 17 post says limited production later that year. The construction update alone cannot resolve that difference.

What Tesla has confirmed

Tesla’s Q2 2026 shareholder update lists both California and Texas Optimus facilities as under construction, without assigning either an installed annual capacity in its manufacturing table.

For Fremont, Tesla said it had decommissioned the Model S and Model X lines and was installing the first Optimus production lines, anticipating production in 2026. Initial robots would support training-data collection and further development in its Optimus Academy. In Texas, the company described building construction as underway.

That July disclosure also conflicts with Teslarati’s statement that Fremont began mass-producing Gen 3 in January. The official update supports a more cautious account of the manufacturing ramp.

The Texas buildout extends the industrial commitment discussed in our earlier coverage of Optimus entering Tesla’s manufacturing capacity disclosures. The next evidence to watch is equipment installation, commissioning and sustained output. The steel frame is a visible milestone; establishing a repeatable robot production process remains a separate test.