The final Model S and Model X have left the production line at Tesla’s Fremont factory in California. A 14-year era that reshaped motoring has come to an end.
How did it all start?
Tesla delivered its first Model S in June 2012. The long-range electric saloon was the company’s first entirely original design, styled by Franz von Holzhausen. It arrived at a moment when range anxiety was real, public charging was sparse, and most carmakers dismissed battery-electric vehicles as impractical. The Model S changed that view almost immediately.
The Model X followed in 2015, distinguishing itself with dramatic falcon-wing rear doors and similar levels of outright performance. Between them, the two cars helped convince a sceptical world that electric driving was worth taking seriously.
What made them worth remembering?
The final Model S Long Range delivered a claimed range of up to 402 miles on a single charge. The Plaid variant pushed performance to an extreme. Its three electric motors produced 1,020 horsepower and reached 0 to 60 mph in under two seconds, with a top speed of 200 mph.
The Model X Plaid matched the horsepower figure and reached 60 mph in 2.5 seconds. Both cars carried families in genuine comfort while posting numbers that embarrassed dedicated supercars.
Why has Tesla stopped making them?
CEO Elon Musk announced the decision during Tesla’s fourth-quarter 2025 earnings call in January, describing it as an “honourable discharge” for both models. Sales had fallen sharply. Production of “other models”, a category that includes the S, X, and Cybertruck, fell from 94,105 units in 2024 to 53,900 in 2025.
The Model 3 and Model Y now account for the great majority of Tesla’s output, and the premium segments that the S and X occupied had grown competitive. Mercedes, Porsche, BMW, and Lucid among others all offer credible alternatives.
Musk said Tesla would replace the S and X production line in Fremont with a line targeting up to one million Optimus humanoid robots per year. The shift is part of a broader pivot away from traditional electric vehicles and towards autonomy and robotics.
Can you still buy one?
Just about. With production now confirmed as over, around 600 new units remain in global inventory at the time of writing – approximately 295 Model S and 301 Model X. Tesla’s website no longer offers a configurator for either car; buyers can only browse pre-configured stock.
Remaining vehicles come with free DC fast charging at Tesla Superchargers and free lifetime Premium Connectivity. Discounts on inventory units have ranged from roughly $1,600 to over $7,000, depending on location and specification. At current rates, available stock could clear within weeks.
What about people who already own one?
Tesla has confirmed that existing Model S and Model X owners will continue to receive parts, service, and software updates for as long as they keep their vehicles. The cars are being retired, not abandoned.
What does this mean for the wider market?
The departure of the Model S and Model X closes a chapter that mattered far beyond Tesla’s own sales figures. These were the cars that made range a selling point rather than a compromise, and they set the benchmark that every subsequent luxury EV has been measured against.
What is harder to overlook is that the Fremont factory space is being converted for Optimus robots rather than a next-generation EV.
Tesla could have built a successor to compete directly with the Mercedes EQS or Porsche Taycan. It chose not to.
Musk marked the moment on social media with a photograph from the original Model S production launch at Fremont in June 2012. “Custom orders of the Tesla Model S and X have come to an end,” he wrote. “I love those cars.”
What comes next for Tesla?
The company’s attention now sits firmly on the Cybercab robotaxi, Optimus, and the continued expansion of its Model 3 and Model Y ranges. Tesla has said it will invest further in infrastructure for clean energy, autonomous vehicles, and robots, including the ramp of six new production lines across vehicles, robots, energy storage, and battery manufacturing.
Whether retiring its founding luxury cars proves bold or shortsighted depends entirely on what comes next. For now, the Model S and Model X leave the stage as two of the most consequential cars the industry has seen.
