Tesla will discontinue the Model S and Model X in the second quarter of 2026, Elon Musk said in an earnings call with investors today. No advance word was given about the cancellations, making it an abrupt ending for Tesla’s two original flagship EVs.
Musk said the reasons for cancelling the vehicle programs was to make room at Tesla’s Fremont factory for production of its Optimus humanoid robot. It was the starkest example yet of Musk’s quest to transform Tesla from an automaker into an AI and robotics leader.
“It’s time to basically bring the Model S and X programs to an end with an honorable discharge, because we’re really moving into a future that is based on autonomy,” he said. “So if you’re interested in buying a Model S and X, now would be the time to order it.”
The Model S is Tesla’s luxury sedan, first released in 2012, while the Model X was its SUV with gull-wing doors, introduced in 2015. Sales of both vehicles has been declining steadily, as the company shifted focus to its mass-market Model 3 and Model Y.
In 2025, Tesla sold 50,850 “other models,” a category that includes Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck. That represented a 40.2 percent decrease in sales, year over year.
Musk has been attempting to transform Tesla from an automotive company to one that makes self-driving cars and humanoid robots. The transition has been rocky, with Tesla reporting a 61 percent decrease in profits in the fourth quarter.
Still, Musk is taking a big risk by killing off the Model S and Model X. They may not have been that popular, but they helped establish the company as a solid competitor in the luxury segment. Tesla’s already slim lineup now gets even slimmer, as competition in Europe and China continues heats up. Musk confirmed during the earnings call that the Cybercab robotaxi will go into production this year, but its unclear how that vehicle will be received.
Last year, Tesla introduced cheaper versions of its Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in an effort to better compete in the low-end of the market — but those vehicles were criticized for not being cheap enough. By eliminating its high-end models, Musk is essentially seceding the top tiers of the market to competitors like BMW, Mercedes, and Audi — as well as China’s luxury auto brands.
However you may feel about Tesla today, there’s no denying the impact that the Model S, and to a lesser extent the Model X, had in to the auto world last decade. Here’s former Verge transportation editor Tamara Warren’s review of the Model S in 2017:
As Elon Musk pointed out at the Model 3 reveal, the S is still the more desirable car, and the P100D is the top performance dog in its S range. After driving both the 3 and Model S P100D, even for a short time, there’s really no direct performance comparison. We’ve already broken down the differences between the Model S and the Model 3; while Model 3 has early adopter cache, the Model P100D is in another class. It is the ultimate statement car of the moment, more than car makes that come with a higher price tag like Ferrari, Porsche, or McLaren: I’m wealthy. I am forward thinking. And now, get outta my way.
But what makes it so amazing? There is, to start, the fundamental matter that this is a Model S in new clothes — and we already know what a beast the S is. Little is lost in translation here: I sampled the P90D variant of the Model X with Ludicrous Mode enabled, and it’s every bit as capable of putting a dumb grin on my face when I smash the accelerator. My brain is basically unable to mathematically comprehend how a car of this width, height, and girth is able to hustle like that. I’m not exaggerating: with Ludicrous turned on, the X will hit 60 miles per hour as quickly as a Porsche 911 Turbo.
There’s no question these were pioneering cars. And while their status may have waned significantly in the years since, they will always be remembered as that.
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