Elon Musk said Tesla is undergoing its most aggressive industrial expansion since World War II, as the company shifts resources toward artificial intelligence, robotics and autonomous mobility.
Speaking during Tesla's second-quarter earnings call on July 22, Musk said the company's capital expenditures this year would exceed $25 billion, or roughly 37 trillion KRW. The investment will support AI data centers, in-house semiconductor development and robotics infrastructure, even at the expense of near-term cash flow.
Tesla is also restructuring its manufacturing footprint to support the shift. Musk said the company is dismantling Model S and Model X production lines at its Fremont, California, plant and installing a mass-production line for the first-generation Optimus humanoid robot in the space. Production-line operations and initial deliveries are expected to begin in the second half of the year.
Musk also reiterated his confidence in Tesla's autonomy business, saying demand for supervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) has become so strong that many customers are effectively “buying FSD with a car attached.” The remark reflects Tesla's view that its software capabilities are increasingly driving vehicle demand.
Tesla has begun initial Cybercab production at Gigafactory Texas. The purpose-built robotaxi is designed without a steering wheel or pedals, and the company is expanding its autonomous ride-hailing service into major metropolitan areas, including locations in Florida. The first Cybercab units have already come off the Texas production line, while volume production is expected to ramp up later.
Musk nevertheless acknowledged the safety and regulatory risks facing robotaxi deployment. He said any Tesla-related accident could rapidly become major global news and draw regulatory scrutiny, adding that the company wants to scale its robotaxi operations as quickly as possible without anyone getting hurt.
On speculation about a possible merger with SpaceX, Musk declined to comment directly during the earnings call. Still, he noted that Tesla and SpaceX have “more and more overlap,” leaving open the possibility of deeper ties between the two companies.
