π UPDATE β May 24, 2026
Tesla VP of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy has revealed the primary reason behind the Model S and Model X discontinuation: increasingly stringent safety protocols from Euro NCAP (which updates every 5 years) and IIHS. Moravy stated Tesla's commitment to building the safest cars on the road made continuing the aging platforms untenable going forward. An interview recap from @SawyerMerritt also confirmed that internal discussions about discontinuing the two models began more than 1.5 years ago, suggesting this was a long-deliberated strategic decision rather than a sudden move.
Additionally, Tesla has now disclosed lifetime sales figures for both models: 400,000 Model S and 355,000 Model X units sold β a combined total of 755,000 vehicles over their production runs.
π UPDATE β May 21, 2026
Tesla's official Model S & X retrospective puts the legacy into sharper focus: over 750,000 vehicles were built across 14 years of production. The Model S alone claimed three landmark firsts β the first EV to achieve 400 miles of range, the first production car to crack 0β60 mph in under 2 seconds, and the first production sedan to run a 9.23-second quarter mile. These milestones underscore just how much the Model S redefined what was considered possible for electric vehicles and performance cars alike.
π£ @TeslaNewswire via X Β· May 21, 2026
π UPDATE β May 21, 2026
Tesla's Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen confirmed he has officially concluded nearly 18 years of active development work on the Model S and X, marking a deeply personal milestone for the vehicles' creative lead. A farewell event celebrated the final Signature Series deliveries, with long-time customers β some who first took delivery over a decade ago β returning to receive the last units. Von Holzhausen pledged that the same passion poured into these iconic cars will carry forward into Tesla's future products.
Tesla and Elon Musk took to X on May 21, 2026, to celebrate the Model S and Model X β two vehicles that didn't just sell well, but fundamentally changed what people believed an electric car could be. The tributes arrive as Tesla wraps up production of both models in Q2 2026, closing a chapter that began with the Model S launch in 2012 and redirecting the factory lines toward something very different: Optimus humanoid robots.
From 50,000 EVs to 21 Million a Year
Tesla's official account framed the legacy in stark industry terms: when the Model S arrived, the entire global EV market was selling roughly 50,000 vehicles a year. Today, that figure sits at 21 million annually. Tesla's argument β and it's a credible one β is that the Model S proved an electric car could be the best car, full stop, not just the best EV. That shift in perception is what pushed legacy automakers to take electrification seriously.
The Model X followed with its own set of firsts: falcon-wing doors, the largest all-glass panoramic windshield in a production car, and a standard all-wheel-drive configuration that redefined what a family SUV could do. Together, the two models accumulated a list of automotive firsts that Tesla is now documenting publicly as part of the farewell.
An Honorable Discharge
The decision to end production wasn't made quietly. During Tesla's Q4 2025 earnings call on January 28, 2026, Elon Musk described it plainly: it's time to give the Model S and X programs "an honorable discharge, because we're really moving into a future that is based on autonomy." Custom orders stopped being accepted on April 1, 2026, with roughly 600 vehicles remaining in worldwide inventory at that point.
The Fremont production lines that built these cars will be repurposed to manufacture Optimus robots, with Tesla targeting an eventual capacity of 1 million Optimus units per year from that space. It's a stark illustration of how completely the company's strategic center of gravity has shifted.
The Legacy Lives in Autonomy
Tesla's messaging today was deliberate in connecting the past to the future. The official account posted: "The legacy of Model S & X will live on in our vision for autonomy" β a line that reads less like nostalgia and more like a strategic handoff.
That autonomy vision is already operational. Fully driverless Robotaxis β no human inside, no chase car β began running in Austin, Texas, on January 27, 2026, and have since expanded to Dallas and Houston. The Cybercab, a dedicated robotaxi vehicle without conventional driver controls, is expected to enter mass production and join the network in 2026. Musk has predicted unsupervised FSD will be "widespread" across the US by year-end.
In an email to US customers sent on March 27, 2026, Tesla put it plainly: "Model S and Model X marked the beginning of the world's transition to electric transportation. These vehicles also made it possible for Tesla to develop the technology that would move our world toward autonomy."
A Final Send-Off for Early Believers
Today also marks the delivery event for Tesla's final limited-edition Signature series: 250 Model S Plaid and 100 Model X Plaid vehicles, invite-only, priced at approximately $159,420 each. Every one comes with lifetime Full Self-Driving (Supervised) and free Supercharging for life β a fitting closing gift for the cars that started it all.
Musk's own words were uncharacteristically sentimental: "S & X will forever be in my heart." For a CEO who rarely lingers on the past, that's a meaningful line. These weren't just products β they were the proof of concept that made everything Tesla is building now possible. The autonomy era is inheriting a very large set of shoes.
Marcus covers Tesla's software releases, FSD rollouts, and OTA changes. Background in automotive engineering. Based in Austin.
Sources verified at publish time. Spotted an inaccuracy? Email editorial@basenor.com.
